Water COnservation

Abstract:
The purpose of our experiment is to test and see how much water western uses in one week, the amount of water the average western student uses, and possible ways to reduce those amounts. The prediction is that the average student spends approximately twenty minutes in the shower, seven days a week, and leaves the water running while they brush their teeth. The three dorms will be tested separately and then combined to find the most wasteful dorm and sex.
We will find out this information by asking all of the students in Western how many showers they take in a week and approximately how long each shower is. We will also ask whether or not they leave the water on while brushing their teeth and how long it takes for them to brush their teeth. We are interested in finding out this information to educate others and ourselves about the use of water on a daily basis. This concerns us because of the lack of water due to the drought this summer.

Introduction:
This summer there was a drought that devastated many American farmers. The lack of rain caused many crops to be plowed under because they would not pull a profit. Yet, with all the devastation, not much was done by society to conserve water. The Western campus has done nothing organized to preserve the water supply. The experiment is intended to test the amount and uses of water on Western. The experiment will test each dorm separately dividing the males and females to determine the largest user. The first thought was to test the amount of water used by the average student in the shower. That idea was expanded to include the total amount of water used in brushing teeth and showers.
Once the results have been recorded, they will be posted around Western to inform the student body of water use. Conservation ideas and techniques will be posted along with the results hoping that Western students can reduce their water usage. "Knowledge is the first step to solution." - Sir Isaac Newton
We feel that the majority of Western students are not aware of the excessive amount of water that they're using and the amount they could save. We think that by doing research and making them aware of the amount of water that could be saved, it would make a difference. Our prediction is that females use the most water on a daily basis, however we don't think that there will be a large variation in the amounts of water each person uses in the different halls.
Due to the drought this summer our original project to test the life in the creek would not work. We were still interested in water and decided to concentrate on how it could be conserved on Western campus. Even though the results of our project will inform a small amount of people, the effect this project will have on students on a long run will be very beneficial. Every student that is willing to conserve water for a few minutes will contribute to the solution.
We focused on these specific questions because they target aspects of water conservation that we face on a daily basis.

Materials and Methods:
To begin this experiment, we will test the amount of water that comes out of the sink faucet and out of the showerhead in a minute. This will be tested by placing a bucket under the faucet or showerhead, the water will be turned on and a person will time for one minute. The water will then be measured and calculated to determine the amount of water dispensed in one minute. Then, all residents of the three Western campus dorms will be surveyed. Each resident will be asked the approximate time spent in the shower each time they shower, the number of showers taken a week, if they leave the water on while they brush their teeth, and the amount of time it takes to brush their teeth.
We chose to leave out the amount of water used when one flushes the toilet, due to the fact that we were unable to acquire the exact amount used for each flush. We fell asking this question would be invasive of one's privacy. There are many other issues that deal with water but would be harder to control individually on a daily basis.
We feel the data we will find will be fairly accurate due to the fact that we have a large and varied test group.
The survey results can be transformed into numeric data. The time it takes each resident to shower can be multiplied by the amount of water dispensed from the showerhead in one minute. That in turn can be multiplied by the number of times a week that the resident showers. Then the data about teeth brushing can be transformed in a similar way to show the water used per week for brushing teeth. This will develop data that can be calculated and compared.
The calculated results will be tallied and averaged. They will be grouped by dorm, sex and then as a whole. The results will report the most wasteful sex and dorm. It will also reveal how conservative Western is as a whole and possible ways to conserve more water.
During our class time we will make up a sheet of questions that will enable students to calculate the number of gallons of water they each use in a week. Once the original calculations are made, we will ask them to calculate how much water would be used if each of their showers was a minute shorter and if they turned off the water while they brush their teeth. This will show them how much water they are wasting each week and will let them know how easy it would be for them to help. Even though their contribution could only be a small one, it makes a difference if a large amount of people cut down. (The questions they will be answering are attached.)
We will not be using many materials in the lab experiment. We will be using the survey data sheets (attached) with our questions and places for the responses. To measure the water we will use two large buckets to catch the water that comes out of the faucet in a minute, which will be timed with a stopwatch. Then we will poor this water into large graduated cylinders using a funnel. Finally, we will convert the mL to gallons.

We will also be calling the water conservation center to find out numbers on a larger scale. It would be interesting to find out the amount of water in gallons that the entire university uses or that the town of Oxford uses. We would use these numbers to compare the amounts being used on Western to the "average" amount in the area.
After we have completed out lab we plan to inform the public. We will post signs around the residence halls that state the amount of water used here on a weekly basis. We will include simple ways each person can save water without actually using much effort. We hope that helping students and faculty to become educated they will pay more attention to their water use. If we all pitch in, we could make a big difference in gaining some of the water lost in the drought back.
References:

Water Conservation & Tips

http://www.ci.sanbruno.ca.us/Finance/watercons.html

City Home City Government Site Map Finance Home Utility Billing Division New Service Understanding Your Statement Utility Rates Making Payments Payment

Water Department Home Page

http://www.ci.rockville-centre.ny.us/water.html

Water Conservation Tips The average family of four uses approximately 350 gallons of water each day. Learn to read your meter so you can keep track of usage. By becoming waste conscious, you can easily

City of Chesapeake - Water Conservation Tips for the Bathroom

http://www.chesapeake.va.us/services/depart/pub-util/h2o-conserv/tips-bath.html

Check the toilet for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl, you know you

In-Class Lab
Water Conservation

Shower:
1) How many showers do you take per week? ______

2) How many minutes do you spend in each shower? ______

3) Multiply #1 and #2 together to find the total number of minutes you spend in the shower in a week. _____

4) Now multiply your answer to #3 by the number of gallons of water a shower uses in one minute. (We will give you this number.)
*This is the number of gallons of water you use each week, just in the shower.

5) Go back to step #2 and take 3 or 4 minutes off of your daily shower time and complete steps #3 and #4 again.

6) Subtract your second answer from your first answer to see how many gallons of water you could save just by taking shorter showers!

Brushing Your Teeth:
1) How long do you spend brushing your teeth each time? ______

2) Multiply this number by the amount of water from the faucet each minute.
(We will give you this number.) ______
*This is the amount of water you use each time you brush your teeth.

3) Now subtract the number of minutes the water is running that you aren't using it and complete step #2 again.
*This is the amount of water you could save each time, just but turning off the water.

SURVEY

Shower length < 5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30+
McKee
Female
Male
Mary Lyon
Female
Male
Peabody
Female
Male

Showers Per Week 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+
McKee
Female
Male
Mary Lyon
Female
Male
Peabody
Female
Male

Brushing Teeth Water on Water off
McKee
Female
Male
Mary Lyon
Female
Male
Peabody
Female
Male

Brushing Time <30s 30s-1min 1-2min 2min+
McKee
Female
Male
Mary Lyon
Female
Male
Peabody
Female
Male

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