“Taking Account of Water”

Your Mission

Become a water meter reader!

Most people use way more water than they need! How about you? You’re about to find out.

Water Use in the U.S.

Like all other living things, human beings are made up largely of water. Every day we must take in about half a gallon of water simply to stay healthy. For most people in the United States, access to clean, fresh water is no problem. We turn on the tap in our homes and out pours a seemingly unlimited supply. So why in the world would it be important to conserve water?

Water Use around the World

While many of the industrialized nations of the world are rich in fresh water, much of the developing world is water-poor. Many people in the developing world must walk long distances to the nearest water source; some spend the better part of their lives fetching and carrying water to their homes. Water may be considered too important to use on things such as flower gardens and fountains—or even for such basic activities as washing hands.

Counting on Water Every Day

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways,” poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote. You’re going to “count the ways” of your involvement with another “deep” subject—water. You’ll record every time you use this resource from the time you get up in the morning till the time you go to bed, whether it’s washing your hair or washing the family car.

Ready to count the ways? Grab your pencil and plunge in.

Counting on Water a Bit Too Much?

It’s time for an accounting of your water usage. After you have recorded the times you use water, your teacher will give you the approximate amounts of water each activity requires. Use this information to tally up your total water usage.

You may be surprised at how many gallons (liters) you used in one day. But if you’re like most people in the United States, you used about ____ gallons (liters) of water in a 24-hour period. (Do you know the answer to that question?)

Pick up a one-gallon (3.8-liter) container of water. It’s pretty heavy. If you had to carry the amount of water you used in 24 hours for one mile (1.6 kilometers), or farther, would you plan to use less water?

Water Conservation? Count Me In!

Show your family the results of one day’s water usage. If you think your family could lower its water consumption, write a “Water Conservation Plan.” The plan should list the steps you and your family will take to reduce the amount of water you use on a daily basis.

Every time you conserve water, it adds up!

Adapted from the 1993 Geography Awareness Week teacher’s handbook. Copyright © 1993 National Geographic Society.

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