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Get the Facts Do Your Part
This is a core SixLinks guide
100 Basic Needs points
by Steven Skoczen Guide: Figure out where your water comes from

Steven'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?
June 9, 2009
Like Jeff, I plan to read the awesome brochure just sent by our water co. I don't actually know it's awesome, but there's a huge two-page spread map of everything from watershed to tap. That looks amazing, and I'll look it over and report what I read!
July 16, 2009
So Portland's water comes mostly from a large surface reservoir, Bull Run, that's protected from pretty much any activity. It can also be supplemented by water from an aquifer that sits under parts of portland and nearby towns, and is fairly well protected.

The strong preference seems to be to supply from surface waters, fed during our rainy season.
Completed on July 16, 2009 at 3:06 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 16, 2009
Wastewater, once treated, ends up in either the Columbia or the Willamette rivers.
Completed on July 16, 2009 at 3:07 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.
Completed on July 16, 2009 at 3:07 p.m.
All Done!
Tomo Says:Great Job!
Updates and Comments: What is this?
The updates and comments below show how Steven is doing in completing his action. You can leave him comments, suggestions and encouragement using the box below.
Tomo Says:The guys drink coffee and work all day, but I think chasing birds is much more fun.
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