Post on 02-Jun-2022
Conserve Water
Activity Booklet
We All Use Water
You Saved Water
Be a Wise Water User
illustrations by Peter Grosshauser
®
2 3
We All Use Water
The Lifecycle of Your Jeans
Directions: Match the amounts of water in the bucket below with the steps 1-5 of the lifecycle on the right. Then add together all of the water used to get your total. Check your answers on the back. What can you do to reduce the amount of water used in the lifecycle?
Because most of us can get water easily (just by turning on the faucet), we may take it for granted and use a lot. Water flows from its source—such as a river or well—through pipes and to our homes and schools. We all use water in our daily lives for washing our hands, brushing our teeth and flushing the toilet. Did you know that the food you eat and the clothes you wear also use water? The vegetables you eat require water to grow, but water is also needed for washing and packaging the vegetables to be sold at the grocery store. Water is used to grow the cotton in your t-shirts and jeans, and for making, dyeing and sewing the fabric, too.
Many farmers and businesses reduce their water use by recycling water and installing new equip-ment and systems that require less water. Even if your community is not experiencing a water shortage today, it may in the future. Getting into the water conservation habit is a good idea to prepare for tomorrow. You can start now by becoming a water detective and investigating the life-cycle of your jeans below.
Once you have your jeans, what can you do to help conserve water?
• When you wash your jeans, you use a lot of water. By washing less, you can save hundreds of liters of water a year.
• Instead of washing your jeans, try spot cleaning! Use a sponge to wash only the dirty spots on your jeans.
• Use cold water to wash your jeans. It makes them last longer!
• Host a jeans drive with your friends to encourage recycling. Collect used pairs of jeans that no longer fit and find them a new home!
Step 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5
Total =
Add together all of the water used to get your total.
liters
3
GrowingCotton
1
MakingFabric
2
Cutting, Sewing & Packaging
Transporting to Stores
4
Washing at Home
5
RecyclingJeans
6
End of Lifecycle
liters
liters
liters
liters
liters
111 liters
860 liters
236 liters
10 liters
2,565 liters
32
Num
ber
of p
laye
rs: t
wo
to fo
ur
You
need
: Pla
ying
pie
ce (c
oin,
sm
all
ston
e, b
utto
n); f
our
smal
l pie
ces
of
pape
r nu
mbe
red
one
thro
ugh
four
; a
stri
p of
pap
er fo
r ea
ch p
laye
r to
rec
ord
the
gallo
ns o
f wat
er s
aved
. Pla
ce
num
bere
d pa
pers
in a
sm
all b
ag. E
ach
play
er d
raw
s a
num
ber
to d
ecid
e w
ho
star
ts, t
hen
retu
rns
the
num
ber
to
the
bag.
The
goal
: Mov
e th
roug
h th
e ho
use
from
sta
rt to
fin
ish,
land
ing
on ic
ons
that
sho
w y
ou h
ave
save
d w
ater
. Fol
low
th
e ar
row
s. D
o no
t go
back
-w
ards
.
You
used
a h
ose
nozz
le
and
turn
ed o
ff th
e w
ater
whi
le y
ou w
ashe
d yo
ur c
ar. Y
OU
SAV
ED 5
0 LI
TER
S (1
3.2
gallo
ns)
OF
WAT
ER.
How
to p
lay:
Tak
e tu
rns
draw
ing
a nu
mbe
red
slip
from
the
bag
and
mov
ing
that
man
y sp
aces
on
the
boar
d. R
etur
n yo
ur
num
ber
to th
e ba
g. If
you
land
on
an ic
on, f
ind
the
sam
e ic
on
arou
nd th
e bo
rder
of t
he g
ame,
rea
d al
oud
the
wor
ds n
ext
to it
and
wri
te d
own
on y
our
stri
p of
pap
er th
e lit
ers
(gal
lons
) of w
ater
you
sav
ed. E
ach
time
you
land
on
an
icon
and
sav
e w
ater
, you
get
to ta
ke a
noth
er tu
rn. I
f yo
u la
nd o
n a
blan
k sp
ace,
you
r tu
rn is
ove
r.
To w
in: A
fter
all
play
ers
have
rea
ched
the
fin-
ish,
add
the
num
ber
of li
ters
(gal
lons
) on
thei
r st
rips
of p
aper
to d
eter
min
e w
ho
save
d th
e m
ost l
iters
(gal
lons
) of w
ater
!*
You
kept
a p
itche
r of
dr
inki
ng w
ater
in th
e re
frig
erat
or in
stea
d of
ru
nnin
g th
e w
ater
for
a m
inut
e un
til it
was
co
ld. Y
OU
SAV
ED 1
0 LI
TER
S (2
.6 g
allo
ns) O
F W
ATER
.
You
used
a b
ucke
t and
sp
onge
, ins
tead
of a
ru
nnin
g ho
se, t
o cl
ean
the
fam
ily c
ar. Y
OU
SA
VED
100
LIT
ERS
(26.
4 ga
llons
) O
F W
ATER
.
You
aske
d yo
ur p
aren
ts
to in
stal
l a lo
w-f
low
sh
ower
head
. YO
U
SAVE
D 2
0 LI
TER
S (5
.3
gallo
ns) (
per
10 m
inut
e-sh
ower
).
You
used
soa
ker
hose
s to
wat
er th
e sh
rubs
in
your
yar
d. Y
OU
SAV
ED
100
LITE
RS
(26.
4 ga
llons
) OF
WAT
ER
(per
day
).
You
surf
ed th
e In
tern
et
and
foun
d w
ays
to
cons
erve
wat
er. Y
OU
SA
VED
200
LIT
ERS
(52.
8 ga
llons
) OF
WAT
ER.
You
cook
ed v
eget
able
s in
a p
ot w
ith ju
st a
litt
le
wat
er a
nd a
lid.
YO
U
SAVE
D 4
LIT
ERS
(1
gallo
n) O
F W
ATER
.
You
clea
ned
vege
tabl
es
with
a b
rush
in a
st
oppe
red
sink
. YO
U
SAVE
D 1
0 LI
TER
S (2
.6
gallo
ns) O
F W
ATER
(per
m
inut
e).
You
wat
ered
the
law
n in
the
earl
y m
orni
ng
inst
ead
of in
the
heat
of
the
day.
YO
U S
AVED
100
LI
TER
S (2
6.4
gallo
ns)
OF
WAT
ER (p
er d
ay).
You
put
mul
ch
arou
nd
tree
s an
d sh
rubs
in
your
yar
d.
YOU
SAV
ED 1
00
LITE
RS
(26.
4 ga
llons
) (pe
r da
y).
You
mov
ed th
e
spri
nkle
rs s
o th
at th
ey
wer
en’t
wat
erin
g th
e ho
use
and
the
driv
eway
. YO
U S
AVED
100
LIT
ERS
(26.
4 ga
llons
) OF
WAT
ER (p
er d
ay).
You
wai
ted
until
the
auto
mat
ic d
ishw
ashe
r w
as fu
ll to
turn
it o
n.
YOU
SAV
ED 4
5 LI
TER
S (1
1.9
gallo
ns) O
F W
ATER
.
You
put p
last
ic, w
ater
-fil
led
bott
les
in y
our
toile
t tan
k to
red
uce
the
amou
nt o
f wat
er
need
ed to
flus
h th
e to
ilet.
YOU
SAV
ED
4 LI
TER
S (1
ga
llon)
OF
WAT
ER
(per
flus
h).
You
aske
d yo
ur p
aren
ts
to fi
x a
leak
ing
toile
t. YO
U S
AVED
75
LITE
RS
(19.
8 ga
llons
) OF
WAT
ER (p
er d
ay).
You
colle
cted
rai
n to
w
ater
hou
sepl
ants
. YO
U S
AVED
4 L
ITER
S (1
ga
llon)
OF
WAT
ER.
You
clea
ned
your
fish
ta
nk a
nd u
sed
the
dirt
y w
ater
to w
ater
hou
se-
plan
ts. Y
OU
SAV
ED 2
0 LI
TER
S (5
.3 g
allo
ns) O
F W
ATER
.
You
took
a th
ree-
min
ute
show
er in
stea
d of
a
10-m
inut
e sh
ower
. YO
U
SAVE
D 7
0 LI
TER
S (1
8.5
gallo
ns) O
F W
ATER
.
You
put g
arba
ge in
the
tras
h ca
n in
stea
d of
in
the
garb
age
disp
osal
. YO
U S
AVED
20
LITE
RS
(5.3
gal
lons
) OF
WAT
ER.
You
plan
ted
wild
flow
er
mix
in y
our
yard
. YO
U
SAVE
D 1
15 L
ITER
S (3
0.4
gallo
ns) O
F W
ATER
.
You
used
a b
room
in
stea
d of
a h
ose
to
clea
n th
e si
dew
alk.
YO
U S
AVED
50
LITE
RS
(13.
2 ga
llons
) O
F W
ATER
.
You
wai
ted
until
you
had
a
full
load
of c
loth
es
to tu
rn o
n th
e w
ashi
ng
mac
hine
. YO
U S
AVED
10
0 LI
TER
S (2
6.4
gallo
ns) O
F W
ATER
.
You
turn
ed o
ff th
e w
ater
w
hile
bru
shin
g yo
ur
teet
h. Y
OU
SAV
ED 1
0 LI
TER
S (2
.6 g
allo
ns) O
F W
ATER
PER
MIN
UTE
.
Start
Finish
You
Save
d Wat
er
*The
num
ber
of li
ters
(gal
lons
) sav
ed a
re e
stim
ates
and
are
bas
ed
on a
n av
erag
e of
10
liter
s (2
.6 g
allo
ns) a
min
ute
if w
ater
is a
llow
ed
to fl
ow fr
eely
from
the
fauc
et.
Be a Wise Water User
Pretend this is your neighborhood. Your job is to teach people how to be wise water users. Can you find the “water-wasters” and “water-savers” in this picture? Draw a circle around wise water use and a square around water-wasting. How many wise and unwise water users did you find in the neighborhood? Compare them with the answer key on the back cover.
76
Answer Key
ISBN: 978-1-942416-64-7Published by the Project WET FoundationDennis L. Nelson, President and CEO
©2015 by the Project WET Foundation.All rights reserved. The contents of this booklet may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the permission of the publisher.
Second printing, October 2015.Printed in the United States of America.
Contact Us:Project WET Foundation 301 North Willson Ave.Bozeman, MT 59715 USA1-406-585-22361-866-337-5486 (toll free in the USA)1-406-522-0394 (fax)info@projectwet.orgwww.projectwet.org
Conserve Water is brought to you by:
Project Management Team:Morgan Close, International Program ManagerJohn Etgen, Senior Vice PresidentJulia Nelson, USA Program ManagerRosalyn Kutsch, International Program AssistantJessica Solberg, Publications ManagerDennis L. Nelson, President and CEONicole Rosenleaf Ritter, Communications Manager
Project Support Team:Meg Long, Chief Financial OfficerRachel Olsen, Sales, Fulfillment and Customer ServiceVerna Schaff, AccountantCarol Walden, Bookkeeper
Designed by Abby McMillen, folk dog art.Illustrated by Peter Grosshauser.Additonal illustrations on page 2:
Bucket © Ovchynnikov Oleksii–ShutterstockSewing machine © Ints Vikmanis–ShutterstockCotton plant © matsiash iryna–Shutterstock
Project WET FoundationVision: Every child understands and values water through action-oriented education, ensuring a sustainable future. www.projectwet.org
This booklet made possible with funding from Levi Strauss & Co.
Scan the QR code with a smartphone to visit the
Project WET website.
13 water-saversput large load of clothes in washercollect rainwater (2)sweep sidewalkfix leaky faucetsoaker hosewater grass with nozzleput plastic bottle in toilet tankclean vegetables in stoppered sinkturn off water while brushing teeth (2)wash car with bucketfill dishwasher with full load
2 water-wastersdripping faucetwash car with hose running
Step 1: Growing Cotton = 2,565 litersStep 2: Making Fabric = 236 litersStep 3: Cutting, Sewing & Packaging = 111 liters
Step 4: Transporting to Stores = 10 litersStep 5: Washing at Home = 860 litersTotal Water Used = 3,782 liters
We All Use Water, p. 2-3
Be a Wise Water User, p. 6-7