Household Env Impact - Lab Report Example

The experiment was done based on the highest national average of household water consumption --- toilet flushes. It was hypothesized that lesser water can be used to flush toilets as effectively. If the water consumption in flushing toilets can be decreased by a third of the normal use, this could save around 10% of the total household water consumption. The results of the experiment showed that water conservation was 12.5% to 15.5% of the total water usage. Lab Report: An Experiment on Household Water Consumption Introduction According to the American Water Works Association, Americans are the biggest water consumers worldwide.

According to the Colorado Water Research Center, the average daily household water consumption is 400-500 gallons, which means that an average person uses around 80-100 gallons of water per day. Some statistics claim that average per capita water consumption is even higher than 150 gallons per day. With all these numbers, the biggest percentage of individual/household water use --- an estimate of 26% --- goes to flushing the toilet. The next biggest household water consumption goes to clothes washers, which eats up around 22% of daily household water use.

The third biggest water consumption goes to showers and baths, which eats up around 19% of daily household water use (U.S. Geological Survey). . 452 & Willis et al. 1998). Background Water is a valuable source of life. Using water resources efficiently and wisely will help fill the needs of both the private and public sectors. Households, farms, businesses, and industries all need water to survive and flourish (Chimbari et al. 451). Furthermore, water is essential not only to humans, but to all living organisms as well.

Everyone, from individuals to large industries, water use should be appropriately shared to avoid water shortages especially in times of fluctuating and limited supplies. Water availability depends on several factors. One of the most talked about issue that affects water supply nowadays is climate change. The rapid and continuous increase in the population also means that more water is consumed even if the supply does not really change. Urban development also means that there are now more paved surfaces that cause a decrease in rainwater absorption by the ground.

Water conservation is essential to ensure adequate water supply in the future, and everyone can take part in this very simple task (Yung, Tolson, and Burn 252-4). Objective This experiment aims to cut down water supply by approximately 10% by limiting water waste in toilet flushes. Hypothesis If the average household water consumption in flushing the toilet is around 104-130 gallons per day when using a 3-5 gallon toilet flush, then using a 2-gallon flush can cut down this number and save at least 10% of the average household water consumption.

Materials A working toilet flush Empty plastic bottle (one 1-gallon or 2 half-gallons) Small pebbles or sand (will fit the mouth of the bottle) Bottle cap/s Chart/table to record water meter readings Clock (or 24-hour timer) Water meter