Water Tracking and Usage

1-A. In my hometown of West Nyack, New York, our water is supplied by United Water New York from a reservoir that is 1000 feet from my house. According to product flyer produced by United Water New York information, the reservoir has a capacity of 5.6 billion gallons of water, and supplies 30% of the counties needs to over 270,000 people with an average daily demand of 31.5 million gallons. The water being collected is called surface water, and comes from lakes, rivers, and the reservoir. These sources are used to collect water into the reservoir from which point a water treatment facility pumps the water out the all the residents and businesses in our town. From the water treatment facility, the water is then supplied to many different faucets and appliances in our house. After utilization in our house, the water is drained back through the sewer system before it is treated and finally deposited back into the reservoir.

1-B.  I kept track of all the water I used today, which I think was relatively lighter usage than most days. In total I used approximately 187.36 gallons of water according to USGS. According to my chart, I consumed approximately 144 gallons of water throughout the day. Water consumption for the activities in the chart were taken from USGS.

 

Activity Teeth Brushing Hand/Face Washing Shower Toilet Flushes 8 oz glasses drank Dishwasher Loads Dishwashing by hand
Frequency 2 5 15 minutes 5 6 1 5
Water Usage 4 gallons 5 gallons 75 gallons 20 gallons <1 gallon 15 gallons 25 gallons

 

To survive on 2 gallons of water I would have to ration out every fluid ounce of water to every task that I do, but with a limit of 2 gallons, those tasks would only be ensuring my survival. According to Mayo Clinic, adult males should consume on average 3 liters (0.8 gallons) of water. I may use a handful of water to wash my mouth and brush my teeth (0.1-0.4 gallons). In terms of waste production, I would be probably using an outhouse that consists of a deep hole in the ground, and would not be reliant on any water there. The rest of the water will probably be saved, or used to bath if I want to feel clean that week. It is necessary to keep the water in case of situation where there would be no available water, which is probable if I was limited to 2 gallons per day. The experiment succeeded as I was able to utilize only 1.2 gallons. The activities that I could do are significantly limited to what I routinely do every day. Geography relates to this water issue as the location of sources of water significantly determines the quality of life people have in the areas that they inhabit.

4 thoughts on “Water Tracking and Usage

  1. Hi my name is Michele and your blog entry really caught my attention because I admire the fact that you were successfully able to live off of less than 2 gallons that day, very impressive. I also like how you incorporated smart tactics on how to survive off of two gallons of water a day and interesting, fun facts into your post. You seem to have really thought outside of the box and strategically.

  2. Hi Neil! My name is Adam Abbott and I am a senior in IST. I noticed that you tracked your water usage differently than I did and I am interested in what tool you may have used. I used a tool that calculated my household’s daily use generally like for showering and from the faucet. I like that you were able to track how much water you used to wash your hands, drink and brush your teeth. I almost wish I used your tool to estimate instead of the one I used. I also agree with how you would prioritize your water usage as I said I would use it mostly for drinking and cooking as well.

    If you would like you can view my post located here: http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/02/10/module-4-hometow…-and-water-usage/

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