Water Pollution

Water Assignment

1. The issue of water consumption in the world is one of the most concerning problems people face. After viewing my water consumption it was disturbing to see how much water I use on a given day.

The average person in Minnesota that uses public water consumes 71 gallons of water a day. In comparison I use 80 gallons of water a day nine more gallons per day then the average Minnesotan. On a daily basis I could conserve 53.2 gallons of water simply by not letting water run continuously while washing my hands, shaving, and brushing my teeth. Two other options for conservation were to use low-flow toilets, and shorten my showers by one minute. These three conservation methods could save over nineteen thousand gallons of water a year, and seventy-seven dollars a year. The website also gives lots of suggestions on how to conserve water in general. Some of these examples that I could implement include: time my showers to limit them to about six minutes, stop using the garbage disposal in the sink, or keeping a pitcher of water in the fridge to avoid the loss that comes from waiting for the tap water to cool.

After viewing these water conservation methods, I realize that many of these are easy for me to accomplish. The biggest problem that would hinder me from following these tips is trying to break my normal habits. For example I have always left the water running when I brush my teeth or shave, this could make it difficult for me to remember to turn of the water when I am doing these things.

2. Another aspect of water conservation is the future of water consuming household products. I viewed the future trends of two of the most used water consumers, the faucet and the toilet.

In terms of faucets there are several new technologies that allow for water conservation. Most of these new technologies revolve around creating hands free controls in order to turn the water on and off when your hands are full. The technology is the foot pedal control. The foot pedal turns the water on and off by simply stepping on the pedal. Unfortunately the installation of this product is difficult and may require reconstruction of cabinets and counters. The other hands free method is a lean bar. The lean bar is installed right beneath the counter top. The water turns on and off when you lean against the bar. This technology is easier to install than the foot pedal and only requires three drill holes to install. Unfortunately, the temperature is still controlled by the handle.

In respect to toilets, there are several new technologies being developed for water conservation. One example is the dual flush toilet, these toilets have two different flushes, one that uses about three gallons of water and another that use about half that amount of water. There are also waterless toilets and urinals that are used in many airports and venues. Waterless residential solutions are available but these are exceptionally expensive although many users are very happy with products. These are all excellent options which hopefully will become more available to consumers in the future. At the same time there is a threat in the government that might ruin