1A.)

My home is located in Clarence, PA.  We receive our water through a well.  This well of water not only serves my household’s water needs, but also that of the small town I live in.  Water from that well is then pumped through a system of underground pipes into our house for use.  When the water enters my home it passes through a pressure reducing valve, keeping the water’s pressure constant, and a water meter, to measure the amount of water usage.  When the water leaves my house, it empties into a conventional septic system where it is again filtered through another system called a leach bed. The septic system separates solids and liquids.  The liquids are then taken through a series of pipes to the leach bed while the solids stay and are eventually pumped and taken to a sewage treatment plant.  The leach field consists of a series of perforated pipe, limestone and sand that filters the water and releases it back into the ground.

1B.)

1C.)

I really wanted to accomplish living on 2 gallons of water in a day.  Starting my day, I thought that I might actually be able to accomplish such a feat, but i quickly began to see just how difficult it is.  In an attempt to cut down my water usage, I eliminated the activities that used the most water.  Since I had showered the night before, I avoided taking one saving 50 gallons of water, more than two times the amount allotted for the day.  I also reduced the amount of times I would flush the toilet and shut off the water while brushing my teeth or washing my face.  By one o’clock, I was already over the 2 gallon goal for the day.  Needless to say, surviving on 2 gallons is nearly impossible when you are not used to giving yourself a limit.  I really had to think before I used the water.  Was what I needed the water for necessary? How could I get along without it?  The most obvious uses for the water, to me were water used for drinking, and water used for sanitary purposes.  All of my meals were prepared without the use of water.  These meals mostly consisted of sandwiches or heated up leftovers.  Geography plays a huge role when talking about water usage.  I cannot imagine living in a water stressed country such as Haiti where the water that is available is not safe to use.  Clean water is a luxury to places such as Haiti.  Some countries do not have the allowance for more sophisticated water systems like we do in the U.S. Where you live also determines how much water you can use.  States such as California, where droughts are more common, are more accustomed to experiencing strict water restrictions.  I have never had to face the reality of not being able to use as much water as I wanted to or needed.  After doing this activity, however, I am definitely more aware of the crazy amount I do use as well as ways to reduce my water footprint.  My individual actions do matter, especially when trying to conserve water.  This activity also made me think of the connection between earth and our water usage.  The water cycle itself is one big positive feedback loop.  Individually, each persons own water system in their homes creates a continuous cycle for everyday water usage.