Analysis of Household Water Usage and Environmental Impact

This homework assignment focuses on analyzing household water usage and its environmental impact. The student is tasked with tracking their family's water consumption over a week, categorizing usage by activity (bathing, brushing teeth, etc.), and calculating weekly totals using the USGS calculator. The assignment then requires answering four questions, each between 200 and 500 words, addressing the importance of water, the paradox of water scarcity despite global abundance, the major uses of freshwater, and practical methods for reducing water consumption and protecting water resources. The student provides detailed answers supported by research, including a literature cited section, demonstrating an understanding of water management and environmental conservation principles.

Running head: THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 1
THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Institution’s Name:
Student’s Name:
Due Date:

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 2
The Issue: The average American uses approximately 100 gallons of water per day. That means,
on average, my family uses 6210 gallons per month or 69552 gallons of water per year. Now
using my water bill from May, I calculate how much money I spent by dividing the monthly rate
on the water bill by the amount used. I paid $22.42 for water and I used 5000 gallons (for the
month of May), so $22.42/500gal = $0.004 per gal. Now multiply the price per gallon by the
total gallons used per year $0.004x 69552=$278.20; is that cheap or expensive? Is that a lot of
water used?
That is not a lot of water used and the water bill is cheap for the normally daily house hold
activities
The Assignment: Using the Table 1 on the last page, record your daily household water usage for
a 7-day period week. Then go to the USGS web page https://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-
percapita.html to calculate your water usage per week and record the number and units
(calculator is daily, but do it for the entire week; make sure to change your units from “day” to
“week”). Once you have done this, answer the following questions using Chapter 13 and 20 and
other sources as references. Make sure to add a literature cited section.
Day Sun Mon Tue. Wed. Thur. Fri. Sat
Category/date Weekly
category
total
Daily
Ave.
(total/7)
#Baths 2/72gal 1/36gal 0/0 1/36gal 1/36gal 1/36gal 2/72gal 288gal 41.14gal
#Teeth 10/10 8/8gal 9/10gal 10/10gal 8/10gal 9/8gal 10/10gal 66gal 9.4gal

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 3
Brushings
#hand/face wash 15/15gal 10/15ga
l
15/14gal 13/15gal 13/15ga
l
11/10gal 15/16gal 100gal 14.3gal
#face/leg
shaving
3/’3gal 1/1gal 2/2gal 1/1gql 1/1gal 1/1ga/ 2/2gal 11gal 1.6gal
#showers 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 35showers 5
Ave. Shower
length (min)
5mi 5min 5 min 5min 5min 5min 5min
Shower gallons 50gal 50gal 50gal 50gal 50gal 50gal 50gal 350gal 50gal
#toilet flushes 10/30gal 8/24gal 11/33gal 10/30gal 11/33ga
l
13/39gal 9/27gal 216gal 30.8 gal
#of 8 oz. glasses
of water from
tap
5/40oz 6/40oz 5/40oz 4/36oz 5/40oz 6/40oz 4/36oz 272oz 38.9oz
#dish washer
loads
3/30gal 3/30gal 2/20gal 2/20gal 4/40gal 3/30gal 3/30gal 200gal 28.6gal
#dish washing
by hand
1/10al 1/10gal 2/20gal 1/10gal 1/10gal 2/20gal 1/10gal 90gal 12.9g1l
#clothes
washing loads
1/25gal 1/25gal 1/25gal 5/125gal 1/25gal 1/25gal 8/200gal 450gal 64gal
Daily Total
from USGS
285gal 239gal 250gal 333gal 270gal 279gal 435gal 2043gal 291.9gal

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 4
Calculators
1What is your first and last name
2. What was your water use by category, by day, and over a 7-day period?
a. Enter your information in Table 1 on the last page
b. For each day and category, calculate your daily water use using the USGS calculator
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-percapita.html and transferring your daily totals to the table.
Then add up your totals for each category and total for a week
3. In 200 to 500 words for each of the four following questions, please answer:
a. Why is water so important?
71% of earth’s surface has water which is poorly managed, water and polluted. Water is also not
replaceable if poorly managed.it is also one of the most important substances of the earth. All life
on earth that is plants and animals need water to survive because if there is no water this plants
and animals will not exist.
Water is very important in humans’ daily activity. Is activities include cooking, bathing, washing
clothes, recreation, clean the house, utensils. Water is very important to plants too, sometimes
they need to be irrigated, it is important for healthy growth of farm crops and animals and
aquatic life (Blanco et al,2010). Through a series of biochemical reactions, water is converted to
oxygen by use of two water molecules water may also be used in the manufacture of many
products that are used in the daily life (Logan,1993).
Water is very important to the human body. All the human body organs depend on water for their
function. The human body can survive for weeks without food but not water. The heart, skin

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 5
kidneys liver and other organs will be impaired in the case of water deficiency in the body. The
heart is protected from attacks and failures when human rinks adequate amounts of water (Botkin
et al,1998). The brain is provided with oxygen by water that helps it perform its functions
optimally.
b. Explain how it is possible that with 71% of the earth’s surface being covered with water, how
so many ecosystems and people can suffer from lack of water.
Most of the earth’s fresh water is not available for use despite the fact that it covers 71% of the
earth. Movement of water in the seas, land and air through the hydrologic cycle which includes
evaporation, precipitation, condensation, transpiration and many others, reduces water for use for
humans and in other ecosystems (Harrington et al,1985). For example, evaporation of what from
the lake reduces the amount of water in for aquatic life in the lakes although this is a normal
process.
Climate changes, such as altered water patterns including floods, pollution and drought also may
lead to lack of water for the ecosystems and people. Floods damage fresh water resources mainly
for people that depend on hand-dug wells and streams. Floods make water dirty and
contaminated for drinking because there are sediments mixed with water that flows (Goel,2006).
Pollution can come in many different ways and make water not good for human consumption
and not good for use in the other ecosystems. Spillage of chemicals or oil to water bodies can
permanently make water unhealthy (Charles,1971). Any untreated waste or fecal matter released
into rivers lakes and oceans pollutes the water. Farmers also cause water pollution when using
fertilizers and pesticides and this is if the chemicals get into the underground water. This leads to
shortage water for human consumption.

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 6
Long lasting droughts also lead to scarcity of water for people and other ecosystems. When there
are minimal amounts of rain or no rain, lakes, rivers and oceans dry up. This reduces the amount
of water or no water for people to use for industrial or domestic purpose.
Wasteful use of water and too many people using the normal water supply also leads to lack of
water to people and other ecosystems. Inadequate management of resources or over usage of
waters may lead to problems in the future when water starts to run out (Hammer & Wiley 1986).
When water is over used, shortage occurs. Some people waste a lot of water in activities such as
irrigation therefore this water becomes less available for other important functions (Alley,2007).
c. What are the major uses of fresh water? How do those uses affect water supplies?
Domestic use. This is the most important use of water.it includes washing clothes, taking
showers, flushing toilets, cooking, cleaning the house and utensils and also drinking. Usage of
this water depends on the amount of water available and the task to be done. Water gets to the
homes in two main ways, through supply from the water supply department or people supplying
themselves from the water sources like wells. Domestic use of water does not greatly affect
water supply. This are the daily activities that people need to carry out for them to be
comfortable.
Agricultural use. This includes farming, gardening and fisharises.in this water is used to grow
fresh produce and sustain livestock. Presence of water makes it possible to grow food, fruits and
livestock which is our food.in agriculture water is used for irrigating crops, fertilizer and
pesticide application, crop cooling and controlling frost. Amount of water used will determine
the outcome of the products hence water has been greatly used in this sector and sometimes
wastage this has reduces the water supply (Ward et al, 2008).

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 7
Industrial use in the manufacture of products in different industries including oil, paper work,
soap and other industries. In the manufacturing procedure all products at some point use water.
Water is also used in the cooling of machines used in the manufacture of products. Water is also
used for diluting, washing, fabricating and transporting the manufactured products. Usage of
water in the industries is depleting the supply of water to the people because industries use a lot
of water in their processing and cooling the machines.
d. List and briefly explain five things you could do to reduce water use (including an estimate of
how much water it would save a year) and/or protect water resources.
Improve irrigation efficiency. Flood irrigation waste a lot of water hence other forms of
irrigation should be used like: center pivot, low pressure sprinkler, low-energy, precision
application sprinklers and drip irrigation, micro-irrigation which is costly but less wasteful. Other
measures to reduce irrigation water include: irrigating at night to reduce evaporation, encourage
organic farming, irrigate with treated waste water and avoid growing of water thirsty crops in dry
areas and many more (Crites et al, 1998). This will help save thousands of gallons of water in a
year.
Recycle water in industries. This is the use of retreated waste water for activities like irrigation.
Recycling helps save not only water but also money. Treatment of waste water for reuse depends
on the activity it will be used for; water for drinking has to be treated more than water for
irrigation (Patterson, 1985). Recycling helps save approximately 300 billion gallons of water.
Fix leaks in the plumbing systems.to know there is a leakage in the system, one has to watch
their house meter at a time when no one is using water .when the leakage is found, it should be
repaired by self or experienced personnel (Dosskey,2001). Fixing leaks helps save more than
five thousand gallons of water in a year.

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 8
Harvesting and storing of rainwater. Set up rain barrel to collect rain water for storage or for use
in home activities like cleaning the floors. More than twenty thousand gallons of water yare
saved in one year.
Use appliances that don’t waste water for example: use of water saving toilets and shower.it is
not a must we take short shower but we can use efficient shower heads. More than ten thousand
gallons of water are saved by using appliances that don’t waste water.

THE NATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 9
References.
Charles.(1971). Biology and water pollution control. WB Company. West Washington
Square,Philadelphia,pa.19105.
Hammer,J.M., & Wiley, J. (1986). Water wastage and technology. New York.
Alley ,E.R. (2007). Water quality control handbook. McGraw-Hill.
Goel, P.K. (2006). Water pollution: causes, effects and control. New age international
Patterson,J.W. (1985). Industrial waste water treatment technology. Butterworth publishers,
Stonham, MA.
Dosskey,M.G. (2001). Towards quantifying water pollution abatement in response to installing
buffers on crop land. Environment management28 (5),’577-598.
Blanco,H.,& Lal,R. (2010). Soil and water conservation. Principles of soil conservation and
management, Springer 2.
Botkin,B.D.,& Keller,E.A. (1998). Environmental science: earth as a living planet.
Logan,T.J.(1993). Agricultural best management practices for water pollution and control:
current issues. Agriculture and the environment,223-231.
Harrington,W.,Krupnick,A.J.,& Peskin,M.H.,(1985). Policies for nonpoint-source water
pollution control. Journal of soil and water conservation 40 (1),27-32.
Ward,F.,&Velazquez,M.P.(2008).Water in irrigation can increase water use. Proceedings of the
national academy of sciences,pnas.0805554105.
Crites,R., & Tchobanoglous,G.(1998).small and decentralized wastewater management systems,
WCB/McGraw-Hill.