There are more than 1 million miles of water pipelines and aqueducts in the United States and Canada .
That ’ s enough to circle the globe 40 times .
Your School , Your Water — Your Effluent ?
Effluent ? This word even sounds yucky . It ’ s the term for everything you send down the drain or toilet . It ’ s a fact of life . With nearly 6 million people in Colorado , it ’ s a big fact of life !
Most effluent is treated before it reenters rivers . In rural areas , it enters a septic system before being released to the ground .
In our watershed , it ’ s important to understand our total impact . How much water we use , what we use it for and how we recycle it can make an impact on the environment and downstream users .
Now , let ’ s get personal . Earlier we asked you to think about your watershed . This time , look around your school or home and note your observations .
Step One Start by drawing a map of the grounds and buildings . It doesn ’ t have to be exact . Include and label locations where water is used . Also show where runoff water goes ( If it enters a storm drain , label where that system takes the water ).
Step Two Now , identify and label any possible sources of runoff pollution .
Step Three |
Write down your suggestions for |
reducing |
the |
amount |
of |
runoff |
pollution . |
|
|
|
|
need to ask a school administrator or maintenance person the questions .
1 . Where does the water for your school come from ? _________________________________ _________________________________
2 . How much water does it take to keep your school operating for a month ? _________________________________
3 . Bonus question : How many gallons per student per day does that equal ? ____________________________
______________________
4 . What part of the school uses the most water ? ( Landscaping ? Kitchen ? Other ?) ______________ ______________
5 . What do you , other students , and the staff use water for ? _________________________________ _________________________________
6 . Where does waste water end up when it goes down the drain ? _________________________________ _________________________________
7 . Where does runoff go ? If it goes into a storm drain , where does that drain empty out ? _________________________________ _________________________________
For the next set of questions , you ’ ll need to do some research . In addition to using maps and the internet , you may
Watershed Defenders 11