1a) I’m from a town near Philadelphia called Downingtown. The Downingtown Municipal Water Authority (DMWA) provides water to over 10,000 people several local counties. The East Branch of the Brandywine is the main water source. Although the DMWA can take up to 3.8 million gallons per day, they supply 1.2 million gallons per day to customers on average. I have actually visited the water filtration plant that the DMWA owns and operates on a field trip my senior year of high school with my AP Environmental Science class. At this facility, the surface water source goes through a treatment process that combines chemical additions, mixing, settling, filtration and disinfection. All of these steps are completed before the water is redistributed. After being treated, the water goes through an extensive system to each household that depends on public water. At home, we have an on-site anaerobic septic system. This means that bacteria eat away at the waste products and filter through them. The solid waste stays in the tank and the liquid goes through a pipe and goes through yet another anaerobic system in a nearby field. The bacteria continue to filter the waste as it also filters through many levels of soil and sediment until it eventually returns to the ground supply.

1b) Daily Usage (Monday)

Brushing Teeth (2), .5 gal

Shower (15 mins), 56 gal

Water (drinking), .5 gal

Toilet (6), 30 gal

Faucet (8 times washing hands/face), 12 gal

1c) I had not realized how much water I was actually using in the shower. If I had to live on 2 gallons a day, daily showers would definitely be avoided. Also, it is hard to understand how much water is used simply in flushing the toilet. With the 2 gallon challenge, I think I would have to cut down on using the toilet as well as flushing it. I think that I would have to prioritize water for drinking as well as washing my hands and face, but perhaps cutting down on that portion significantly. I definitely was not successful in the challenge of using only 2 gallons a day, but because of this I will definitely be more conscious about how much water I use and how I can cut down on it as much as possible. Geography really plays a part in water usage because depending on both the physical and cultural components of where you live dictates how much water each individual is allotted.