Water Review

1.  An important source of freshwater is groundwater. Answer the following questions about human use of groundwater.

a.  Using a cross section of the ground, draw the water table, a confined aquifer, and an unconfined aquifer.

b.  Explain the factors that create an artesian well.

c.  Describe the concerns that scientists have regarding the pumping of water from confined aquifers.

d.  Explain how cones of depression near the coasts of continents can lead to saltwater intrusion of water wells.

2.  Answer the following questions about the world’s approximately 845,000 dams.

a.  What are the benefits that dams provide to humans?

b.  What are the costs of dams to human society?

c.  What are the negative impacts of dams on the environment?

d.  If dams have both costs and benefits, how should we decide when a dam should be built?

Measuring Your Impact

Saving Water The need to conserve water is widespread throughout the world. People who live in developed countries such as the United States can make some simple changes to conserve water.

1.  An older showerhead uses 150 L for a 10-minute shower, whereas a reduced-flow showerhead uses only 95 L. If you take one shower per day, how many liters of water would you save in 1 year if you replaced your older showerhead?

2.  An older toilet uses 27 L per flush, whereas a replacement toilet uses only 6 L per flush. If you flush toilet four times per day, how many liters of water would you save in 1 year if you replaced your older toilet?

3.  Now let’s assume that you have a newer toilet that uses 6 L per flush, but you are considering upgrading to a dual-flush toilet. If you flush the toilet four times per day, but three of those times you could use the 3 L flush, how many liters of water would you save in 1 year?

4.  If you made all three of the changes described in questions 1-3, how much water, in total, would you save from going down the drain?

5.  If you lived in a family of four people, and your paid $1 for every1,000 L of water your family used, how much money, in total, could your family save in 1 year with these water conservation improvement?

Water Review

1.  An important source of freshwater is groundwater. Answer the following questions about human use of groundwater.

a.  Using a cross section of the ground, draw the water table, a confined aquifer, and an unconfined aquifer.

b.  Explain the factors that create an artesian well.

c.  Describe the concerns that scientists have regarding the pumping of water from confined aquifers.

d.  Explain how cones of depression near the coasts of continents can lead to saltwater intrusion of water wells.

2.  Answer the following questions about the world’s approximately 845,000 dams.

a.  What are the benefits that dams provide to humans?

b.  What are the costs of dams to human society?

c.  What are the negative impacts of dams on the environment?

d.  If dams have both costs and benefits, how should we decide when a dam should be built?

Measuring Your Impact

Saving Water The need to conserve water is widespread throughout the world. People who live in developed countries such as the United States can make some simple changes to conserve water.

1.  An older showerhead uses 150 L for a 10-minute shower, whereas a reduced-flow showerhead uses only 95 L. If you take one shower per day, how many liters of water would you save in 1 year if you replaced your older showerhead?

2.  An older toilet uses 27 L per flush, whereas a replacement toilet uses only 6 L per flush. If you flush toilet four times per day, how many liters of water would you save in 1 year if you replaced your older toilet?

3.  Now let’s assume that you have a newer toilet that uses 6 L per flush, but you are considering upgrading to a dual-flush toilet. If you flush the toilet four times per day, but three of those times you could use the 3 L flush, how many liters of water would you save in 1 year?

4.  If you made all three of the changes described in questions 1-3, how much water, in total, would you save from going down the drain?

5.  If you lived in a family of four people, and your paid $1 for every1,000 L of water your family used, how much money, in total, could your family save in 1 year with these water conservation improvement?