Transcript Household_Water_Use2009.ppt

Household Water Use
Average annual precipitation (centimeters)
Less than 41
81–122
41–81
More than 122
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Fig. 14-4a, p. 309
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Fig. 14-4b, p. 309
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Fig. 14-8, p. 314
Water usage - U.S.A. and China
Figure by UMB OpenCourseWare.
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
Quabbin Reservoir
 Source
Reservoirs: 477 billion gallons
 Quabbin Reservoir: 412 billion gallons
 Wachusett Reservoir: 65 billion gallons
Images removed due to copyright restrictions.
MWRA Water Supply
 215
Million gallons per day
 Quabbin holds 4 year supply
Image courtesy of Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
MetroWest Tunnel
 $728M
 17.6
miles, 14’ diameter
 200-500’ deep
 100 million gallons/d
 7 years
 Completed 2004
Image courtesy of Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Blue Hills Covered Storage
(20M gallons;180M gallons total)
Supply and Demand
Image courtesy of Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Reduction in average water use
was achieved through:
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Vigorous leak detection and repair efforts on MWRA and community
pipes
Retrofitting 370,000 homes with low-flow plumbing devices
A Water Management Program for area businesses, municipal
buildings and nonprofit organizations
Extensive public information and school education programs
A change in the state plumbing code requiring new toilets to be 1.6
gallon per flush
Meter improvements that helped track and analyze community water
use
New water-efficient technology that has created reductions in
residential use
Water pipeline replacement and rehabilitation projects throughout
the MWRA and community systems.
Household Water Usage
 Town
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Water Usage
http://www.mwra.com/monthly/wsupdat/archiv
ecomwatuse.htm
 Water
Saving Tips
 http://www.mwra.com/comsupport/conserv
ation/hometips.htm
Water Use Homework
 Calculate
how much water you use per
week (per person).
 What are the different uses of water in
your house?
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How often do you use this water per week?
How fast is the water supplied?
How many people use this water?
 Show
calculations
Solutions
Reducing Water Waste
• Redesign manufacturing processes
• Repair leaking underground pipes
• Landscape yards with plants that
require little water
• Use drip irrigation
• Fix water leaks
• Use water meters
• Raise water prices
• Use waterless composting toilets
• Require water conservation in watershort cities
• Use water-saving toilets, showerheads,
and front loading clothes washers
• Collect and reuse household water to
irrigate lawns and nonedible plants
• Purify and reuse water for houses,
apartments, and office buildings
• Don't waste energy
Fig. 14-21, p. 327
What Can You Do?
Water Use and Waste
• Use water-saving toilets, showerheads, and faucet aerators.
• Shower instead of taking baths, and take short showers.
• Stop water leaks.
• Turn off sink faucets while brushing teeth, shaving, or washing.
• Flush toilets only when necessary.
• Wash only full loads of clothes or use the lowest water-level for
smaller loads.
• Use recycled (gray) water for lawn, gardens, house plants,
car washing.
• Wash a car from a bucket of soapy water, and use the hose for
rinsing only.
• If you use a commercial car wash, try to find one that recycles its
water.
• Replace your lawn with native plants that need little if any watering
and decorative gravel or rocks.
• Water lawns and gardens in the early morning or evening.
• Sweep or blow off driveways instead of hosing off with water.
• Use drip irrigation and mulch for gardens and flowerbeds.
Fig. 14-25, p. 333