Part 1 a:

I am from a small, rural town called Montoursville which is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The water supply in Montoursville comes from four wells and the Sylvan Dell Spring. The four wells are located within the borough and drilled in valley fill deposits. Two primary use wells are located next to the Loyalsock Creek and the Susquehanna River. The two back-up wells are located in the Southwestern portion of Montoursville borough. The Sylvan Dell Spring is on the slope of Bald Eagle Mountain, which is located south of the Susquehanna River. Since I live outside of Montoursville, the water supply chain in my home comes from well water. Initially our well was created by digging into the earth until the water table was reached. Precipitation from the ground’s surface is infiltrated through the soil. The water then enters cracks in the bedrock, leading the the aquifer. Ground water is than extracted out of the underground aquifers and drawn up to the surface by a pump. A point-of-entry system was installed after the water meter to treat and filter, most of the water entering my home. A point-of-use system was also installed to filter water and delivers it to the tap. After the tap water is used, it runs into the drain. The wastewater is then transferred into a septic tank in my back yard where it seeps back into the ground.

Part 1 b:

Water Usage for One Day

(February 7, 2015)

Amount of water usage source: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-percapita.php

Part 1 c:

2 gallons of water a day= 256 oz. total

Living on two gallons of water of day would be a significant change in the way I engage in everyday life. I would no longer be able to use water for materialistic things (showering, flushing the toilet, cleaning off the counters etc..). I would have to focus on what is vital for survival. Before conducting this experiment, I thought I was already consensus of the water footprint I was making. After calculating the total amount I used in a single day I was baffled. I have always turned the water off when brushing my teeth, dishes and showering but it is evident that is not enough. If I was only given two gallons a day, I would first focus on personal consumption. It is vital to stay well hydrated so I would keep at least 48 oz. a day, strictly for drinking purposes. I have two dogs and a cat so they would be next concern. It is recommended animals have 10 ounces per 10 lbs of body weight. A combined total of my animal’s weight is 110 pounds so I would need to give them a  total of 110 oz. per day. Hygiene is also very important to remain healthy so instead of showering daily, i would have to limit it to once every 2 days. On the days in between, I would use about 24 oz. to wash my face, rinse my hair and scrub my body. Although it is not desirable, it is also not necessary to flush the toilet everyday. Instead I could put used toiletry in the trash, and use the toilet solely for eliminating. If I flushed the toilet once every 3 days, it would limit water usage to 53 oz. per day. With the remaining 21 oz. I would focus on the water I need for cooking and washing my hands. Although every day is different, and water isn’t always a necessity for cooking, it is typically used on a daily basis. I could then reuse the waste water leftover from cooking to aid in flushing the toilet. By practicing these methods, I could cut down my water consumption by 85.1 gallons. Although it would be difficult to accomplish in society today, individual actions always make a difference. By learning about where my hometown’s water supply comes from, it was evident that there’s more usable water located next to bigger bodies of water. Water is also typically more abundant on the bottom of mountainous areas and deep valleys. Geography plays a vital importance in water supply and I am very thankful to live in an area with a comfortable amount of  usable water. Comparing this exercise with part 1-b helped make me aware of the unreasonable amount I was using and areas where I can cut back consumption.