SixLinks: Rachel Mays's Figure out where your water comes from

100 Basic Needs points

Guide: Figure out where your water comes from

Rachel's action: Figure out where your water comes from

Your water comes from somewhere. Every time you turn on a tap, it is using water that was in some natural space. You should know where that is and what happens to your water after it goes down the drain. Knowing this information may make you think about the amount of water you are using.

Step 1: Figure out where your water comes from read more

Check the literature from your water company, check out there website, or just call them to find out where your water comes from. What influences when you have a lot of water versus a little? Is it rain down the street? Rain a few hundred miles away? Snow melting from the nearby mountains?

July 3, 2009

Portland = awesome. The Portland Water Bureau sent out a 2009 Drinking Water Quality report that explains where our water comes from, what microorganisms and contaminants are present and in what levels, and what they do to continually test water quality. Sweet.

Completed on July 3, 2009 at 6:05 p.m.

Step 2: Figure out where your water goes read more

Same as above, but try to figure out what happens after you use your water. How is it treated? What bodies of water does it end up a part of?

July 3, 2009

This information was harder to obtain, but the consensus would be that it goes to a wastewater treatment facility, then is used for purposes such as irrigation.

Completed on July 3, 2009 at 6:12 p.m.

Step 3: Inform your household read more

Learn enough about this to be able to explain it to the other members of your household. And actually explain it to them, so that they may think about it when they are using water as well.

July 3, 2009

I totally 'explained' turbidity! Meaning, they understand it better than I do, but at least now we all know. :)

Completed on July 3, 2009 at 6:13 p.m.

All Done!

Tomo Says:Great Job!

July 3, 2009

Edited to say - after wastewater treatment, water flows into the Columbia river.

Updates and Comments: What is this?

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Tomo Says:If you don't have an account already go get one! You're missing out on most of the cool stuff!

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