Water Use and Conservation Lab Activity Sheet
Go to www.watercalculator.org
Click on Get Started and answer the questions to the best of your ability. Move through the questions for indoor use, outdoor use, and virtual use. At the end of the questions you will be given your water footprint. Record your footprint and your family footprint. Then scroll down the results page to get more details about your water usage in order to answer the following questions. Answer the questions below and discuss your answers.
| Activity using water | Your usage in gallons/day | US average in gallons/day |
| Total activities footprint (you) | ||
| Total activities footprint (family) | ||
| showers | ||
| baths | ||
| dishwasher | ||
| Hand washing dishes | ||
| Clothes washing | ||
| driving | ||
| car washing | ||
| Shopping habits | ||
| sprinklers | ||
| Pool |
Answer all questions in complete sentences.
Indoor Water
How does your overall average footprint compare to the US average?
Is your water usage for showers and/or baths lower or higher than the U.S. average? Click on “tips” to read through ways you can lower it. List two of those ways here.
Is your water usage for washing dishes lower or higher than the U.S. average? Click on “tips” to read through ways you can lower it. List two of those ways here.
Is your water usage for clothes washing lower or higher than the U.S. average? Click on “tips” to read through ways you can lower it. List two of those ways here. Does washing clothes in different temperatures help on energy?
Outdoor Water
Is your water usage for outdoor sprinklers lower or higher than the U.S. average? Click on “tips” to read through ways you can lower it. List two of those ways here.
Is your water usage for a swimming pool lower or higher than the U.S. average? Click on “tips” to read through ways you can lower it. List two of those ways here.
Virtual Water
Is your water usage for driving & transportation lower or higher than the U.S. average? Click on “tips” to read through ways you can lower it. List three of those ways here.
Is your water usage for shopping lower or higher than the U.S. average? Click on “tips” to read through ways you can lower it. List three of those ways here.
Do you recycle more than the average American?
Analyze your diet as it relates to water use. Are there any vegans or vegetarians in your home? If there are meat eaters, what happened to the numbers when you increased the meat intake? Why (you can get a hint from “Tips”)?
