You think you know everything about water?
Take this water conservation kids quiz to see how much you know about saving water… and you might learn a thing or two!
Question 1) True or False? It’s not important to save water because our planet has a lot of it.
- Our planet may have a lot of water, but that doesn’t mean we can use it all! Most of our water is salt water in the oceans, which we cannot drink. The fresh water we have to drink is also being lost to pollution, droughts, and over-use.1 In fact, 40 out of 50 state water managers (the people in charge of the water system for that state) say that they think we will have water shortages in a lot of places over the next ten years.2
Question 2) What percent of the earth’s water can be consumed by humans?
- The earth’s oceans cover more than 70% of its surface,3 which is a lot of water… but humans and other animals cannot survive by drinking salt water, and instead need freshwater to drink. But only 1% of the earth’s water is safe for human consumption, which means 250 million people around the world do not have fresh water to drink.4
Question 3) True or False? Bathrooms are the largest use of water in the home.
- Bathrooms use more than 50 percent of all indoor water,5 which makes sense if you think about it. The water from the sink to brush your teeth and wash your hands, water in the shower or for baths, and water from flushing the toilet all add up! Did you know that replacing showerheads with more eco-friendly versions can save 4 gallons of water every time you take a shower?5
Question 4) How much water is used everyday by a family with 4 members?
- How can only four people use so much water? It sounds like a lot, but that’s because it is! The average American uses more than 80 gallons of water each day, to do things like flush toilets, use the sink, and water plants. 80 gallons is enough to fill more than 1,200 glasses of water.6 If you multiply that by four people, you get 320 gallons. That number might make you think twice the next time you leave a faucet running!
Question 5) What should you do if there is a leaky pipe in the house?
- Leaky faucets waste a lot of water, so if you see or hear a leaky faucet, tell an adult about it, so they can get it fixed. A lot of US homes have easy-to-fix leaks that drip away 90 gallons a day or more,7 so if you don’t, those drips can add up to 2,700 gallons of water wasted in a year!
Question 6) When is the best time to water your garden or lawn?
- Although it may be fun to play with sprinklers when it’s hot outside, your lawn should only be watered in the early morning or evening, when it’s cooler outside.6 Watering the garden or lawn when it’s hot causes the water to evaporate and get sucked back into the air, before the plants get a chance to drink it! And of course, if it just rained, there’s no need to water any extra!
Question 7) Which method of washing dishes uses less water?
- To save water in the kitchen, use your dishwasher only when it’s completely full with dirty dishes. Running the dishwasher only when it’s full can get rid of one load of dishes every week, and save 320 gallons of water a year.7 You could also plug the drain and fill the sink up with water, instead of running the faucet. Letting your faucet run for just five minutes while washing dishes can waste a whopping 10 gallons of water, and uses enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 18 hours!6
Question 8) How much water can you save per day by turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth?
- By turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, you can save 8 gallons of water every day.7 Adults who shave also sometimes might let the tap run while shaving, which uses a lot of water. So if everyone in the household would turn off the water while brushing their teeth and shaving, you could save nearly 5,700 gallons of water a year!7
Question 9) Are grass lawns wasteful?
- Even though you don’t have much control in what landscaping your parents choose, it’s important to understand how grass lawns can hurt the environment. As far as water use goes, the average sized lawn in the US uses the same amount of water as running the shower constantly for 4 days, taking more than 800 showers, or a whole family taking 1 year’s worth of showers!7 To make things worse, 50% of the water we use outdoors is lost to wind and evaporation, meaning that maintaining a grass lawn can waste up to 25,000 gallons of water a year.7 Now, that’s a lot of water!
Question 10) Which method of washing the car saves the most water?
- Most car washes will save you more water than if you wash your car at home. This is because they recycle the water that they use, instead of letting it run into the sewer drains.7 Ask your parents to find a “water-efficient” car wash near you to save water. If you do have to wash the car at home, don’t let the hose run… instead, fill a bucket with water!
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References
1Seametrics. (n.d.). 5 Reasons the World is Running Out of Freshwater. Retrieved 07 29, 2021, from www.seametrics.com: https://www.seametrics.com/blog/running-out-of-freshwater/
2U.S. Government Accountability Office . (2014, 05 20). Freshwater: Supply Concerns Continue, and Uncertainties Complicate Planning. Retrieved from www.gao.gov: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-14-430
3National Geographic. (n.d). Ocean. Retrieved 07 29, 2021, from www.nationalgeographic.org: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ocean/#:~:text=The%20ocean%20covers%20more%20than,percent%20of%20it%20remains%20unexplored.&text=Encyclopedic%20Entry%20Vocabulary-,The%20ocean%20is%20a%20huge%20body%20of%20saltwater%20that,71%20percent%20o
4Achwal, A. (2018, 04 26). Water Pollution Information and Facts for Kids. Retrieved 07 29, 2021, from parenting.firstcry.com: https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/water-pollution-information-and-facts-for-kids/#Some_Other_Water_Pollution_Facts_for_Children
5United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). About WaterSense . Retrieved 07 29, 2021, from www.epa.gov/: https://www.epa.gov/watersense/about-watersense
6United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Kids Test Your Watersense. Retrieved 07 29, 2021, from www.epa.gov: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/ws-kids-test-your-watersense.pdf
7United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Statistics and Facts. Retrieved 07 29, 2021, from www.epa.gov: https://www.epa.gov/watersense/statistics-and-facts