assignment on water used

Water Conservation

Keywords: water conservation, water use, data collection; Grade Level: third grade; Total Time for Lesson: 30 minutes each day on two separate days; Setting: classroom instruction with assignment to be done at home

Concepts Covered

• The importance of water in every day living.
• The ways in which water is used in the school and home.
• People can take added measures to help conserve water.

Goals for the Lesson

• The students will list ways in which they use water both in school and at home,
• The students will collect data to determine actual water usage within the home.
• The students will conserve water.
• The students will create a poster persuading others to conserve water.

Materials Needed

• container of water
• Data Collection Sheets (from Water Conservation with the Water Lion )
• drawing paper
• crayons, markers, paints, etc.

State Standards Addressed: Humans and the Environment (4.8.D); Know the Importance of Natural Resources in Daily Life; Identify Ways to Conserve Our Natural Resources

Teaching Model: Think/Pair/Share-Data Collection-Discussion-Persuasive Project

• Introduce the lesson by showing the students the container of water. Ask them what they think you will use it for. Allow them to share only a few of their ideas. Explain that you could do many different things with that water. Tell them they will make a list of all the things we use water for.
• Think/Pair/Share: Distribute a piece of paper to each student. Have the students generate lists, independently, of all the possible uses of water. After approximately five minutes, pair the students and encourage them to share their ideas with their partner and expand their lists. After an additional ten minutes, ask the pairs of students to share some of their ideas. A class list can be generated and students can continue adding ideas to their lists.
• Data Collection (taken from Water Conservation with the Water Lion ): Compliment the students on their good thinking of uses of water. Explain that over the next few days, they will collect information about where, when and how they actually use water at school and home. Distribute Activity I: Average Water Use Tally from the 4-H curriculum and go over the directions with the students.
• After they have tallied their water use over 3 days, ask the students if they used as much water over the 3-day period as they expected. Allow students to share their experiences.
• Did you use water in any manner that was not listed on the data collection sheet?
• Did you use more or less water than you expected?
• If you knew you would not have that much water, which activities would you eliminate, and why?
• Did you use water unnecessarily?
• Do you think you used water wisely? If not, explain what was unwise?
• How could you use less water and still do all of the activities listed in the data collection sheets?
• Explain that this is called conservation and that it is important to conserve water whenever possible so that there will be enough clean water for when we need it. Explain that it is important for them and others to conserve water.

Persuasion Poster

Tell the students that since they had so many good ideas for conserving water, it would be helpful for them to share their information with others so that even more people can conserve water. Explain that it is called persuasion when you want to convince other people to do something. Explain that they will be creating a poster to persuade people to conserve water. They must choose one method of water conservation. Their poster must show and tell the reader how to conserve water. Ask a few children to share ideas of what could be done. (for example: Write "turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth" and draw a picture of someone brushing his/her teeth with the water not running at the same time.)

Provide the students with drawing paper and writing instruments. Give the students ample time to complete a poster. Allow the students to display their posters throughout the school or perhaps in local businesses.

Could the students identify at least 10 ways in which water is used? Did they complete the data collection? Did the students identify and illustrate one way of conserving water?

Drohan, Joy R., William E. Sharpe, and Sanford S. Smith. Water Conservation with the Water Lion. The 4-H Water Project Unit 1 (2001). University Park, Pa.: Center for Watershed Stewardship, The Pennsylvania State University.

Hope Wenzel, Tyrone Elementary

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Lesson 3: The Value of a Water Footprint (High School)

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Collection

Resources in this top level collection a) must have scored Exemplary or Very Good in all five review categories, and must also rate as "Exemplary" in at least three of the five categories. The five categories included in the peer review process are

For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html .

Session 1 of this lesson begins with a quick activity to get students thinking about their direct and virtual water use. It introduces a few new ideas for virtual water use that may surprise students, including the virtual water required for the products we buy and use. Then students form marketing teams to explore five categories of water use (indoor, outdoor, diet, electricity, and buying habits) and create infographic posters to share what they learn. Then, in Session 2, students remain in five teams to audit the school's indoor and outdoor direct water use as well as several categories of virtual water use: food, energy, and electronics. They use what they learn to create a strategic conservation action plan that incorporates their How to Save Water awareness campaign in an effort to decrease the school's overall virtual water use. The lesson can be conducted as a short project or a more comprehensive capstone project. This is the third of the three-part Lessons for Understanding Our Water Footprint: High School Lesson Plans.

Expand for more detail and links to related resources

Activity Classification and Connections to Related Resources Collapse

Grade level.

Appropriate for general high school level (upper secondary) coursework with some background in earth sciences, environmental sciences and social studies.

This activity is also available in a format appropriate for a middle school level (lower secondary) audience .

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

How the activity is situated in the course.

This is the second of three lesson plan modules. Each lesson can stand on its own or build on each other sequentially.

• Lesson 1: Water Resources and Water Footprints
• Lesson 2: My Water Footprint

Content/concepts goals for this activity

• Quickly categorize examples of water use as either direct or virtual
• Create an infographic poster and awareness campaign to communicate water conservation ideas to the school community.
• Work with classmates to audit the school's direct and virtual water use.
• Create a strategic action plan with suggestions for improving the school's water footprint as well as ideas for implementing their awareness campaign.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Other skills goals for this activity, description and teaching materials, teaching notes and tips, references and resources, supplementary resources:.

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Teaching Conservation with the Water Footprint Calculator

With our collection of tools, lesson plans and other content, students find out how water is necessary to make just about everything we eat, use and buy. It takes water to make our food, energy and consumer goods like clothing and electronics. In addition, we’ve included extra content about the connections between water and food, because globally, food is the largest water user and has a significant impact on our water resources. 

These water conservation activities provide teachers and other educators opportunities to help students understand their direct and virtual water use and learn to think globally about their impacts. , our water footprint tools and resources.

Below is a selection of our tools and resources that can supplement your classroom water conservation activities. Please note that with the exception of the Aqua video and materials, our resources are best suited for middle school, high school and college students.

Teaching With Our Water Footprint Resources

Looking for water conservation lesson plans and other resources for the classroom?

Teachers use our free, downloadable middle and high school water conservation lesson plans to help students understand their water use.

Students take the  Water Footprint Calculator , compare water footprints and discuss how they can reduce their water use.

Teachers give the presentation Beyond the Water Cycle: Teaching About Water Footprints to their students and then they discuss what it means to be a good global citizen with respect to water use.

Teachers use the water use issue pages to lead a discussion about where virtual water is used the most in food, energy and household products. Students discuss personal consumption and purchases.

Students choose three  water saving tips and are challenged to implement them for one week, then discuss how they did.

Teaching About the Connections Between Water and Food

These activities help students understand the water use associated with the food they eat.

Students use the  Water Footprint of Food Guide to compare the water footprints of their food and discuss how they can reduce their water use.

Teachers give the  Water Footprint of Food Quiz to their students, they discuss their results and discuss what their answers mean in terms of water use and how they can do better.

Students read the following posts, then discuss concepts like water footprints, feed conversion ratios and industrial vs. pastured production methods.

• Beef: The “King” of the Big Water Footprints
• Why Meat Eats Resources
• The Water Footprint of Beef: Industrial Vs. Pasture-Raised
• The FoodPrint of Beef
• What’s for Dinner? Protein – and its Large Water Footprint

Students  read the following posts about “ algal blooms ,” and discuss some of the unexpected food and water connections they learned about.

• Algal Doom: What Causes Harmful Algal Blooms?
• Algal Doom: The Growing Threat of Harmful Algal Blooms

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ASSIGNMENT NO 1 Water Uses and Consumption

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Water is a precious natural resource. All living things need water for their survival. We cannot imagine life without water. Let it be animals or plants they require water to complete their daily metabolic activities. Plants require water to synthesize their food from the process of photosynthesis.

On average, an individual uses 600 to 700 litres in a day. We all can live without food for days together but cannot even imagine surviving without water, even plants become dry and shed their leaves without water.

Let us learn some more importance to water.

What is Water?

Water is one of the natural resources, which are found in an adequate amount. It is an essential source for the existence of life on the planet earth. It is widely used for various purposes such as drinking, washing, bathing, cleaning, cooking, irrigation, and other industrial and domestic uses.

Sources of Water

There are various sources of water. About 97% of the water on the Earth’s surface is covered with water. The three main sources of water are:

• Groundwater – This includes water bodies like Wells and Springs.
• Surface water – This includes different water bodies like Reservoirs, Rivers, Streams, Ponds, Lakes and Tanks.

Importance of Water

We all need water for different daily activities including:

• Domestic Purposes include bathing, cleaning, cooking, drinking, and washing.
• Agricultural applications include irrigation, farming, gardening, and frost control.
• Other Industrial Applications.

Apart from this, we drink water to:

• Stay hydrated
• Lubricate Joints
• Regulate the body’s temperature
• Transport nutrients and other waste in the body.
• Balance the loss of water from the digestive tract and body tissues.

Water Cycle

Water never stops moving. The water cycle mainly describes the process of the continuous movement of water from the surface of the earth and it is usually carried out in four different stages. The entire cycle is controlled by the sun and is also known as the hydrological cycle

Evaporation : In this stage, the heat from the sun heats up the water from oceans and other water bodies and evaporates the water in the form of vapours which rises up and form clouds.

Condensation : The water vapour’s in the clouds cools down.

Precipitation : The cooled water vapours in the clouds form droplets and released in the form of Precipitation back to the earth surface in the form of rain or snow.

Collection : The rainwater runs off to the ground and gets collected into the river, ponds, well, and back to the sea.

As mentioned above, about 97% of the water on the Earth’s surface is covered with water. Only 2 to 3% is available and safe for drinking. Rest of the water is saltwater and other two-thirds of the Earth’s freshwater is frozen in glaciers and these water resources are mostly inaccessible for human use.

This is the reason, we all need to reduce wasting this natural resource and conserve water for future requirements.

Also, read about How Can We Conserve Water?

Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more in detail about Water, Conservation of Water and other related topics @  BYJU’S Biology .

Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!

Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button Check your score and answers at the end of the quiz

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Is sea water also counted as a source of water??

Yes, Suface water – Sea water

Wow, what an amazing fact, I have an exam tomorrow I can have a good learning time now.

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Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix

Lesson plan, grade levels, type of companion resource, content area standards, agricultural literacy outcomes, common core, learn, protect, and promote water, grade level.

In this lesson students learn about water sources, water pollution, and water protection. Students participate in an activity where they demonstrate the water cycle and see the potential for our water supply to become contaminated.  Grades 6-8

Estimated Time

30 - 45 minutes

Materials Needed

Activity 1: Groundwater Recharge, Pollution, and Protection

• Water Pollution Scenario Cards , 1 copy
• Mini Posters , 1 copy

Activity 2: Water Savers

• Lore Story , 1 copy per class or student group*
• Villian and Hero descriptions, digital copy to project or 1 printed copy for each group*
• Water Savers Rule Sheet and Game Instructions *
• Game Board (Recommended printing on 11" x 17" paper)*
• Game Cards (Print on cardstock and cut out)*
• Hero Cards (Print front and back on cardstock and cut them out. Be sure to let the printer know the weight of the cardstock, otherwise they will not print front and back correctly)*
• Villain Cards (Print front and back on cardstock and cut them out. Be sure to let the printer know the weight of the cardstock, otherwise they will not print front and back correctly)*
• Pollution Track (Optional) 
• Environmental Action Plan , (Optional) 1 copy per student group

*These items are available in the  Water Savers Game , which can be purchased from agclassroomstore.com.

best management practices: methods that can improve efficiency, optimize resources, and prevent or help reduce pollution

evaporation: the changing of a liquid into a gas

groundwater: precipitation that has infiltrated through soil, rock, and gravel in the ground

hydrologic cycle: a sequence of conditions where water moves through the atmosphere through precipitation, evaporation, and transpiration

non point source: nutrient pollution that results from runoff and enters surface, ground water, and the oceans from widespread and distant activities

point source poluution: nutrient pollution that comes from a specific source that can be identified such as a factory or a wastewater treatment plant

precipitation: moisture in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground

transpiration: the process by which plants release water vapor back into the atmosphere through their stomata

water table: the level in the ground which is saturated with water

Did You Know?

• Agriculture accounts for approximately 80% of the United States' consumptive water use. 1
• Although agriculture accounts for a large portion of our water supply, large-scale farming could not provide food for the world's large populations without the irrigation of crop fields. 2
• Irrigation has been around for as long as humans have been cultivating plants. 2

Background Agricultural Connections

The hydrologic cycle , more commonly known as the water cycle, is a process where water is continually moving around the earth through precipitation, evaporation, and transpiration.

Precipitation is water in any form that falls from the sky. Evaporation is when water changes from a liquid to a gas after being heated by the sun. Transpiration is when water changes from a liquid to a gas after being absorbed through plant roots and then entering the atmosphere through the leaves.

Groundwater is water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil and rock. Precipitation can help to increase groundwater levels if the precipitation is able to infiltrate deep enough through soil, rock, and gravel in the ground. Groundwater reaches aquifers, which is the saturated zone of the soil, rock, and gravel in the ground. Wells are drilled into aquifers to access water. The top of the aquifer, where the saturated zone meets the unsaturated zone, is called the water table .

Groundwater aquifers also serve to supply water to streams and other surface water. If not for groundwater, streams would dry up during the driest part of summer when it may not rain for weeks. In urban areas, groundwater recharge is reduced due to pavement, roofs, and other impervious surfaces.

On Earth, only 1 percent of water can be used for drinking. Additionally, groundwater is used for industry, mining, and agricultural purposes.

Water Pollution

Water can become contaminated by both point source pollution , which is pollution from a specific and identifiable source, and non point source pollution , which is pollution from a less identifiable source, often spread over several areas, and can be mobilized by rainfall or snowmelt.

Point source pollution examples include:

• Factory waste from a pipe
• Discharge from manufacturing plant
• Waste water treatment facility outfall

Non-point source pollution examples include:

• Fertilizer in garden
• Dog waste in yard
• Motor oil residue on roads

In addition to other pollutants, pesticides, if not used appropriately, can contaminate both surface water and groundwater. The contamination can be effected by the weather, environment, soil conditions, and human activities. For example, sandy soil has larger soil particles and is more prone to pesticide leaching, which occurs when a pesticide moves through the soil to reach groundwater. Certain characteristics that make a pesticide more prone to leaching include:

• High solubility, meaning the pesticide can easily move in water
• Low adsorption, meaning the pesticide does not easily bind to the soil particles
• Persistent, meaning the pesticide does not easily break down in the environment

Point source pollution examples from pesticides include:

• Improper disposal of pesticide containers and pesticides, such as dumping excess pesticides down storm sewers and other locations.
• Pesticide use in vulnerable areas such as sandy soil, sinkholes, and shallow groundwater.
• Pesticides spills at mixing, loading, and equipment clean-up sites.
• Pesticide use around wells or other known water sources.
• Back-siphoning of pesticides into water sources.
• Any way that pesticides are not mixed, used, stored, and disposed of according to label directions.

Non-point source pollution from pesticides includes pesticides moving from large areas into water or groundwater, like what might occur after a rainfall, such as if pesticides are applied to fields and lawns prior to rainfall.

Water Protection

Best management practices (BMPs) are methods that can improve efficiency, optimize resources, and can prevent or help reduce pollution. If applying pesticides, BMPs should be used, which promote environmental stewardship and help prevent pesticide contamination of water. Best management practices with pesticides around water include:

• Determine need to use pesticide products and perform spot treatments when possible.
• Apply pesticides according to the label directions.
• Identify vulnerable areas such as sandy soil, sinkholes, wells, and shallow groundwater.
• Secure storage areas to prevent unintentional chemical exposure.
• Ensure chemicals are tightly closed and monitor for tears to prevent spills or leaks.
• Maintain a 100 foot buffer zone around wells, streams, rivers, and other known water sources when mixing, loading, and applying pesticides.
• Avoid back-siphoning of pesticides.
• Incorporate pesticides into the soil to reduce runoff.
• Have buffer strips to catch sediment and help slow runoff movement.
• Monitor weather to properly time pesticide applications.
• Regularly calibrate equipment.
• Handle pesticides and equipment safely.
• Seek assistance with any questions from Extension Educators and Department of Agriculture affiliates.

Other best management practices to help prevent water contamination include:

• Reduce or eliminate fertilizer use.
• Prevent chemicals from leaking.
• Pick up trash and animal waste.
• Be aware of oil residues from vehicles.
• How do I use water in my daily life?
• Tip: As students begin running out of ideas, give prompts such as, "Do farmers need water to produce our food? Is water necessary to process our food (clean, cook, and package it after it leaves the farm) and to keep restaurants clean and safe from foodborne illness? etc."
•   Optional Adaptation: Another way to facilitate this activity is to have students write down responses as a group in a certain amount of time, such as sixty seconds. Have students share and compare responses. For a friendly competition, see which group comes up with the most unique responses
• Discuss and summarize the information found in the Background Agricultural Connections portion of the lesson. Inform students that they will be learning about the importance of water and how we can protect our water supply. 

Explore and Explain

Preparation:

• Print and cut the Water Pollution Scenario Cards .
• Print the Mini Posters .
• Hang or place the "Clouds" sign at the front of the room or learning space. In the following order, display the "Plants," "Ground," and "Stream" signs several feet away from each other and several feet down from the "Clouds" sign, such as in the middle of the room. The "Aquifer" sign should be placed on the opposite end of the room or space from the "Clouds" sign, several feet down from the "Plants," "Ground," and "Stream" signs.
• Explain to students that groundwater is a very important resource. As a class they will soon be demonstrating the hydrologic cycle and groundwater recharge. They will serve as the "water" that moves through the hydrologic cycle and provides nutrients to plants, recharges groundwater, and supplies aquifers.
• Explain to learners that Pennsylvania [or insert your state's statistics here] gets 41 inches of precipitation, on average. Of that precipitation, approximately 50 percent will evaporate or transpire from plants, 30 percent will go to infiltrate through the soil and recharge groundwater, and 20 percent will land on the ground and runoff into streams.
• Ask for 20 volunteers. Assign the following number of students in respective roles: 10 students will represent evaporation and transpiration, 6 students represent groundwater recharge, and 4 students will represent runoff into a stream. Once roles are assigned, have the 20 students come to the front of the room and stand by the "Clouds" sign.
• Teach students that approximately 50 percent of the precipitation will evaporate or transpire from plants. Have 10 students leave the "Clouds" sign, representing precipitation, and move to the "Plants" sign.
• Teach students that 30 percent of the precipitation will infiltrate through the soil and recharge groundwater. Have 6 students leave the "Clouds" sign, representing precipitation, and move to the "Ground" sign. Have the students step over the Ground sign, representing how precipitation infiltrates into the ground. Have half (3 of the 6) of the students move and stand next to the "Aquifer" sign, demonstrating how groundwater fills aquifers. Have the other 3 move towards the "Stream" sign, (still below the "Ground" sign,) but forming a horizontal line to replicate how the groundwater feeds surface water like the stream.
• Next, teach students that 20 percent of the precipitation will land on the ground and runoff into streams. Have the 4 remaining students leave the "Clouds" sign, representing precipitation, and move towards the "Ground" sign. Once they reach the "Ground" sign, the students should not step over the sign, but should move horizontally across to the Stream sign, demonstrating how the precipitation becomes runoff and feeds into surface water, such as streams and lakes.
• Now that all students have moved away from the cloud, Instruct the group of 10 students standing at the "Plants" sign to move back to the "Clouds" sign, demonstrating how water will evaporate (change from a liquid to a gas from being heated by the sun) or transpire (change from a liquid to a gas from being absorbed through plant roots and going out through leaves) as part of the hydrologic cycle. 
• A Step Further: Instead of assigning students to groups, ask for volunteers and then have the students determine the numbers for evaporation and transpiration, the groundwater recharge, and the runoff into streams using the given percentages. Or, have the students represent certain inches of precipitation and allow them to determine where the water will move. Example: Each student represents 4 inches of precipitation. To replicate the movement of 40 inches of precipitation, 5 students would move to the Plants sign, 3 to the Ground sign for groundwater recharge, and 2 would be the runoff for streams.
• Have the students remain in the same positions near the "Stream," "Groundwater," "Aquifer" and "Clouds" signs. Select an additional 4 students. These students will now be representing either a "Point Source Pollution" or a "Non point Source Pollution." Distribute one Water Pollution Scenario Card to each of the 4 students as well as the corresponding  Groundwater Mini Poster.
• Note: The scenario card instructions tell the student to read the instructions, perform the action when prompted by the instructor, and then share the talking points when prompted by the instructor.
• Instruct Person #1 and Person #2 to perform the action listed on their scenario card.
• Instruct Person #3 and Person #4 to perform the action listed on their scenario card. Once Person #3 is positioned near the "Plants" sign and Person #4 is positioned near the "Ground" sign, say “It’s Raining.” Instruct the students near the "Cloud" sign, who are serving as precipitation, to move, encouraging some to move towards the "Plants" sign and others to move towards the "Ground" sign. Person #3 and Person #4 have an additional action step on their scenario card to move once the precipitation reaches them. Instruct the precipitation students to either stop once they have reached the signs or, take it a step further, with having the students at the "Ground" sign to either infiltrate towards the "Aquifer" sign or runoff to the "Stream" sign.
• Ask the students about their observation of the pollution and which was point source or non point source pollution. Have Person #1, Person #2, Person #3, and Person #4 read the Talking Points on their scenario cards. Have students propose solutions to protect water sources, such as avoiding applying fertilizer or chemicals near expected rainfall events and ensuring that oil in motor vehicles is not leaking. More water protection solutions will be discussed in the next section.
• Read the Lore Story to the students or have them read it within their game playing groups.
• Organize the class into groups of 2-5 students. Give each student group a Water Savers  game board and game pieces listed in the Materials section.
• Review the Rule Sheet and Game Instructions together as a class. If needed, see the modification options below.
• Introduce students to the  Villains (environmental issues) and  Heroes (sustainable farming practices to help combat environmental issues) in the game.
• You may use a timer for the game, or a pollution track .
• What motivations did you, as the player, experience while you played the game? If you were put in your hero's shoes, do your motivators change?
• Who were the different villains? Do you think the villains live on Earth? How might these villains represent issues in our community? Could the villains represent environmental issues and/or problems?
• Could the heroes live on Earth? Do you think the heroes could be found in our community? Do they represent things near us? How might these heroes be examples of players? 
• Why do you think the game designers chose to represent environmental actions through the cards like they did?
• Ask the students, "What do you already know about watersheds?" (They were mentioned in the game.)

• Conclude by asking the students to make connections between one of the villains (environmental issues) and/or one of the heroes (sustainable farming practices) and the importance of healthy watersheds in our communities.
• Optional: Transition to the Environmental Action Plan . Give each group one copy. As a group, students work together using their knowledge gained from the game to determine ways that they could take action to help solve an environmental issue in your community. As a class, you may choose to produce an action plan to take on a water quality issue in your area.
• The Environmental Action Sheet may be collected to help observe student ideas and to promote action.

Game Modifications:

• For younger students, remove the Crisis and Event cards or lower the number of them within the deck. 
• For students with prior knowledge of environmental issues, have the students create their own crisis, Hero, or Villain 
• Students can survey their neighborhood/surrounding area for farming practices that are helpful or harmful to water quality and look for areas that may have an increased the amount of nutrients.
• Encourage students to explore what goes into their water or where their water comes from (this is a good place to also include the water cycle/nitrogen cycle).
• Expand student understanding by having them design a buffer strip, or other sustainable farming practices, that will also increase biodiversity. 

Assign students to research specific examples and news articles that share about water contamination and the effects on the society. Allow students to share findings with a group.

Encourage students to identify areas around their home which are near or connected to water, such as storm sewers, well heads, streams, and others. Ask students about potential contaminants near these areas and if there are best management practices to reduce pollution.

After conducting these activities, review and summarize the following key concepts:

• Water cycles through the atmosphere as a liquid, solid, or gas. This is known as the water cycle.
• Water is an important natural resource. Water supply is necessary and critical to produce our food.
• Water is a limited natural resource that needs to be managed properly and protected from pollution, damage, and waste.
• The use of "Best Management Practices" helps farmers and ranchers use water more efficiently as they produce our food.
• http://www.seametrics.com/blog/farm-water-facts/
• http://water.usgs.gov/edu/wuir.html

Acknowledgements

Activity 1:  Penn State Pesticide Education Program

Activity 2:  Upper Iowa University – Environmental Issues Instruction (EII) ; Authors: Cathryn Carney, IALF; Dylan Jacobsen, Artist; Jeff Monteith, New Hampton CSD

Recommended Companion Resources

• Agricultural Fact and Activity Sheets
• How Do You Grow a Fish Sandwich? Video
• Project WET
• Science in Your Watershed
• The Story of Bottled Water video
• The USGS Water Science School
• Using Technology to Save Water
• Water Pollution Demonstration
• Water Savers
• Water: Sources, Use, Conservation

Kelly Lowery

Organization

Penn State Pesticide Education Program

Agriculture and the Environment

• Discuss (from multiple perspectives) land and water use by various groups (i.e., ranchers, farmers, hunters, miners, recreational users, government, etc.), and how each use carries a specific set of benefits and consequences that affect people and the environment (T1.6-8.d)
• Discover how natural resources are used and conserved in agriculture (e.g., soil conservation, water conservation, water quality, and air quality) (T1.6-8.c)
• Describe benefits and challenges of using conservation practices for natural resources (e.g., soil, water, and forests), in agricultural systems which impact water, air, and soil quality (T1.6-8.b)

Education Content Standards

Science (science).

MS-ESS2: Earth's Systems

• MS-ESS2-4    Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.

MS-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity

• MS-ESS3-3    Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
• MS-ESS3-4    Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

Common Core Connections

Anchor standards: speaking and listening.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

How can we help?

Send us a message with your question or comment.

• An Introduction to Water Resources

Water- a must for all life forms on earth and the most important natural resource. We all know that about three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water. But about 96.5% of the global water resources come from the oceans and seas. In India, the water resources amount to an estimated 1897 square kilometer per annum. However, we all know about the shortage of Water we are facing as a country. Let us learn more about the conversation of the water resource .

Suggested Videos

Some quick facts and figures.

• The total volume of water on earth’s surface- 96.5%
• The total volume of usable freshwater- 2.5%
• The volume of freshwater in ice-sheets and glaciers- 70%
• Stored groundwater- 30%
• Precipitation (rainfall) in India- 4% of earth’s total
• India’s rank in the world for water availability per person (per annum)- 133

Conservation & Management of Water Resources

‘Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink.’  It is a very old saying in a different reference to the situation . But, this is exactly what we fear will happen very soon, if we do not wisely use and conserve our water resources.

Research shows that by 2025, India, along with many other countries will face a serious scarcity of water. Many regions in our country are currently undergoing the process of ‘water stress’. According to a research by Falken Mark, a Swedish expert on water, ‘water stress’ happens when the water availability falls below 1000 cubic meters per person per day.

How did we reach here?

Though blessed with large rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Narmada, and others, India’s socio-economic development has a lot to contribute to decreasing water resources. Rising population , industrialization, urbanization and modernization of agriculture , are some of the main reasons for water shortages in many parts of the country. As a result, most of our prominent rivers, especially the smaller ones have become toxic with waste products and pollution .

Saving our Water Resources

Water is indeed an essential resource for life on earth and it must be conserved. In fact, historically, humans had learned to conserve the available water resource by building dams.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Dams are simply hydraulic structures that act as a barrier between the source and destination of flowing water. Earlier, these dams were small and hand-made. In our modern society, engineering techniques and methods are used to construct most of these dams.

Depending on its need, the water flow can be obstructed, redirected or slowed down using a dam. The barrier often creates a small reservoir or a lake, collecting the excess flow of water. People use most dams for irrigation . While some dams are used for generating electricity , which we know as ‘hydropower’ or ‘hydro energy’.

Dams can be of different types and of various sizes. While timber dams are made from wood, the masonry or embankment dams are made with stones and concrete. Dams can also be low, medium or high in height, depending on their location and usage. Though dams can be helpful in conserving water resources, too many of them can also cause over sedimentation of the river beds.

Also, over usage of dams can reduce the aquatic life of the river, on which they flow. That is why we also have more natural and long-lasting methods of saving our water resources. The two most widely used methods are:

Rainwater Harvesting

You must have come across this term from multiple media sources. Rainwater harvesting is one of the most efficient and effective ways of conserving water. It is more like the recycling of natural water. In this, the rooftop rainwater harvesting is a common practice in states like Rajasthan, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and major parts of South India, where rainfall is usually heavy. People connect PVC pipes to a drain on their roof and the rainwater is collected below in large storage tanks.

This water is then utilized for daily needs even after rains are over. Mostly, people do not collect the water off first rainfall but thereafter. In Shillong and other parts of Meghalaya and rain prone regions of North East, water from rooftop rainwater harvesting covers about 15-25% of household water requirements.

DIY: You can try a home experiment for your learning exercise. Collect the rainwater and store it. You can even filter the water for a clean output. Now, use this water for your household needs or plants. Did you know? In the state of Tamil Nadu, it is compulsory for every house/residential building to have a rooftop rainwater harvesting system!

Bamboo Drip Irrigation system

This is an indigenous method which has been in practice for about 200 years in the north-eastern states of India. While this practice helps conserve the region’s water resources, it also helps in irrigation of local farms and fields. People use bamboo pipes for tapping the waters of streams and springs. About 18020 litres of water flow through a network of pipes and end up as drips on the farmlands.

Solved Questions for You

Q1. What is water stress?

Ans. According to a research by Falken Mark, a Swedish expert on water, ‘water stress’ happens when the water availability falls below 1000 cubic meters per person per day.

Q2. What are the different methods of water conservation?

Ans. We can conserve water resources using different methods:

• Dams: These are hydraulic structures that can either control, redirect or obstruct the flow of water from a water body. Dams are made from wood, stone or concrete.
• Rainwater Harvesting: Rainwater is collected from rooftops or ground and stored in large tanks for later use. Rainwater harvesting is popular in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.
• Drip Irrigation: This method is most practised in North Eastern states, for irrigation of farms as well as save the local water resources. Bamboo pipes flow water over a long distance and end up in drips when they reach the plants.

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Assessment Module 1- Understanding Water Quality Standards

Module 1- Understanding Water Quality Standards (pptx) (8.2 MB)

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Requirements for Harvest and Post-Harvest Agricultural Water in Subpart E for Covered Produce Other than Sprouts

End of Intended Enforcement Discretion Beginning January 26, 2023

Available in PDF en español (Spanish)

In response to feedback received from stakeholders, the FDA announced in March 2017 the intent to review Subpart E of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) to consider how the requirements for agricultural water might be simplified.    

The proposal published in December 2021 does not include changes to the harvest and post-harvest requirements for agricultural water. In July 2022, the FDA issued  a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to extend the compliance dates for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for non-sprout covered produce. In this same notice, the agency also announced end dates for the intended enforcement discretion provided for the harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements, to begin on January 26, 2023 for the largest farms.

This fact sheet is intended to highlight the requirements for agricultural water used for harvest and post-harvest activities under the PSR. 

1. What is agricultural water?

Agricultural water is water used in covered activities on covered produce where water is intended to, or is likely to, contact covered produce or food contact surfaces, including water used in growing activities and in harvesting, packing, and holding activities.

• “Harvest and post-harvest agricultural water” refers to water used in harvesting, packing, and holding activities, such as water used to prevent dehydration, for transport, cooling, and washing. This includes water used to make ice that contacts covered produce or food contact surfaces and water used for handwashing.
• “Pre-harvest agricultural water” refers to water used during growing activities, such as irrigation and crop protection sprays. Note: FDA intends to continue to exercise enforcement discretion for the pre-harvest water requirements (for covered produce other than sprouts) in the Produce Safety Rule during rulemaking. Additional information is included in the final question and answer below. 

( See § 112.3 for complete definition)

2. Who is covered by the agricultural water requirements?

Covered farms are subject to the requirements of Subpart E if they use water during the growing, harvesting, packing, or holding of covered produce in a way that meets the definition of “agricultural water.”

3. What dates should farms be aware of when the intended enforcement discretion period for the harvest and post-harvest requirements in Subpart E ends?

In July 2022, the FDA issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that announced dates for the end of the intended enforcement discretion period for the harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce other than sprouts. These dates, as listed below, are staggered by farm size:  

• January 26, 2025, for very small businesses;
• January 26, 2024, for small businesses; and
• January 26, 2023, for all other businesses.

In the same announcement, FDA also proposed staggered compliance dates for the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements that would begin with largest farms, 9 months after the effective date of a final rule. See also the final question and answer below.

4. When will routine inspections that include an assessment of the Subpart E harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements begin, and what will they look like?

The end of the period of FDA’s intent to exercise enforcement discretion for the harvest and post-harvest requirements for covered produce other than sprouts in Subpart E of the Produce Safety Rule for large farms covered by the rule is January 26, 2023.  

As has been done with other FSMA rules, the FDA plans to take an educational posture for the harvest and post-harvest agricultural water requirements as the enforcement discretion period ends. During the first year after the end of the intended enforcement discretion policy, FDA will work closely with state and industry partners to advance training, technical assistance, educational visits, and on-farm readiness reviews to prepare both farmers and state regulators for implementing these provisions.

5. What are the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) requirements for harvest and post-harvest agricultural water?

All agricultural water must be safe and of adequate sanitary quality for its intended use (see § 112.41). Specifically, Subpart E * (and related provisions in Subparts N and O) includes requirements for agricultural water, including harvest and post-harvest agricultural water, such as:

• § 112.41: Quality standard
• § 112.42: Inspections and maintenance
• § 112.43: Treatment 
• § 112.44(a): Microbial quality criterion
• § 112.45(a): Measures 
• § 112.46(a) and (c): Testing 
• § 112.47: Who may test 
• § 112.48: Additional management and monitoring
• § 112.50: Records 
• § 112.151: Test methods
• § 112.161: Records requirements

 Some of the requirements from Subpart E are discussed below.

 *Relevant requirements in Subpart E include those sections that apply specifically to water used during harvest and post-harvest activities, as well as those requirements pertaining to all agricultural water used.

6. What requirements apply to agricultural water sources and water distribution systems?

Subpart E includes requirements for inspecting and maintaining agricultural water sources and distribution systems, which can be found in § 112.42. These include inspecting agricultural water systems to the extent they are under the farm’s control to identify conditions that are reasonably likely to introduce known or reasonably foreseeable hazards into or onto covered produce or food contact surfaces in light of the covered produce, practices, and conditions. These also include requirements for maintaining agricultural water sources and distribution systems.

7. What specific microbial quality criteria apply to agricultural water used for certain intended uses? (See 21 CFR 112.44(a))

When agricultural water is used for any one or more of the purposes described in § 112.44(a), then the farm must ensure there is no detectable generic E. coli per 100 ml of agricultural water, and must not use untreated surface water for any of those purposes.

( See § 112.44(a) )

8. What measures must be taken if the harvest or post-harvest agricultural water is not safe and of adequate sanitary quality for its intended use, or does not meet the requirements of § 112.44(a)?

If a covered farm has determined, or has reason to believe, that the water used during and after harvest does not meet these criteria, the farm must immediately discontinue use of that water. Before using the water source and/or distribution system again for this intended use(s), certain steps must be taken as described in § 112.45(a). These include, but are not limited to, reinspecting the entire affected agricultural water system, to the extent it is under the farm’s control, and making necessary changes; or treating the water as described in that section.

( See § 112.45(a) )

9. What are the requirements for treating harvest and post-harvest agricultural water?

Requirements for treatment of agricultural water in accordance with § 112.45 are found in § 112.43. If the harvest or post-harvest agricultural water is treated to comply with § 112.45, then: 

• Any method used (including physical treatment, an EPA-registered antimicrobial pesticide product, or other suitable method) must be effective to make the water safe and of adequate sanitary quality for its intended use and/or meet the microbial criterion of no detectable generic E. coli per 100 mL of water, as applicable 
• Treatment must be delivered in a manner, and monitored at a frequency adequate, to ensure that the treated water is consistently safe and of adequate sanitary quality for its intended use and/or consistently meets the microbial criterion of no detectable generic E. coli per 100 mL of water, as applicable

( See § 112.43 )

10. What are the requirements for testing harvest and post-harvest agricultural water subject to the requirements of § 112.44(a)?

There is no requirement to test agricultural water that is subject to the requirements of § 112.44(a) when certain additional requirements are met. Those additional requirements are found in § 112.46(a). Section 112.46(a) includes additional requirements for when:

• water is received from a Public Water System,
• water is received from a public water supply, or 
• water is treated in accordance with the requirements of § 112.43.

More information about those requirements can be found in § 112.46 (a)(1), (2), and (3), respectively.

For harvest and post-harvest agricultural water, if untreated ground water is used for the purposes that are subject to the requirements of § 112.44(a), there are testing requirements for that water, which are found in § 112.46(c). Those testing requirements include frequency of testing and how those results are used. These requirements include, but are not limited to:

• initially testing the untreated ground water at least four times during the growing season or over a period of one year;
• testing the water once annually thereafter; and
• if any annual test fails to meet the microbial quality criterion in § 112.44(a), resuming testing of water at least four times per growing season or year.

( See § 112.46 )

11. If agricultural water is tested, who must test the agricultural water? 

Agricultural water test results must be collected by the covered farm, by a person or entity acting on the covered farm’s behalf, or by a third party provided that third party data adequately represents the covered farm’s agricultural water source(s) and meets all other applicable requirements of this part.

( See § 112.47 )

12. How must harvest and post-harvest agricultural water quality samples be collected and analyzed?

• Samples must be aseptically collected and tested using a method in accordance with § 112.151
• (a) the method of analysis published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Method 1603: Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) in Water by Membrane Filtration Using Modified membrane-Thermotolerant Escherichia coli Agar (Modified mTEC), EPA–821–R–09–007)” (EPA Method 1603); or
• (b)(1) a scientifically valid method that is at least equivalent to the method of analysis in (a) in accuracy, precision, and sensitivity.

( See § 112.47 ) 

We have provided a list of various quantification methods and presence/absence methods that are scientifically valid and at least equivalent in accuracy, precision, and sensitivity to EPA Method 1603 when used to test agricultural water subject to the requirements in § 112.44(a). These methods can be found at: Equivalent Testing Methodology for Agricultural Water . 

13. What other measures must be taken for harvest and post-harvest agricultural water?

There are other requirements for harvest and post-harvest agricultural water found in § 112.48. Those include measures related to: 

• management of water 
• monitoring the quality of water, and 
• maintaining and monitoring the temperature of water.

( See § 112.48 )

14. What are the recordkeeping requirements for harvest and post-harvest agricultural water?

Subpart E includes recordkeeping requirements for agricultural water. For harvest and post-harvest agricultural water, those requirements include, but are not limited to, 

• records pertaining to agricultural water system inspections, 
• test results, 
• water treatment, 
• corrective actions, and 
• public water systems (if applicable).

All records required under Subpart E are also subject to the general requirements for records in Subpart O of the Produce Safety Rule. 

( See § 112.50 )

15. What about the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements in the Produce Safety Rule?

In December 2021, FDA published a notice of proposed rulemaking to propose changes to some of the requirements for pre-harvest agricultural water. FDA intends to continue to exercise enforcement discretion for pre-harvest agricultural water during rulemaking.  In the supplemental proposed rule that we issued in July 2022, we proposed compliance dates for pre-harvest agricultural water for produce other than sprouts: 

• 2 years and 9 months after the effective date of a final rule for very small businesses;
• 1 year and 9 months after the effective date of a final rule for small businesses; and
• 9 months after the effective date of a final rule for all other businesses.

Additional Information 

• FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety
• FSMA Produce Safety Rule, Subpart E- Agricultural water
• FSMA Proposed Rule on Agricultural Water
• Constituent Update 2022: FDA Proposes Compliance Date Extension for Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Requirements
• Contact for the Produce Safety Network: [email protected]
• FSMA PSR Proposed Rule
• Constituent Update 2021: FDA Proposes Changes to Agricultural Water Requirements in the Produce Safety Rule
• Constituent Update 2019: FDA Finalizes New Compliance Dates for Agricultural Water Requirements
• Announcement on Agricultural Water 2017: FDA Considering Simplifying Agricultural Water Standards
• Equivalent Testing Methodologies for Agricultural Water

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products