In this game, students learn of the accumulative effect of small leaks as two teams race against each other to fill a pail with water. One team has secret, small leaks in their buckets and so will be at a disadvantage.
This game leads to a discussion of the importance of water conservation.
We’re very lucky to have running water in our homes. The United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO) says that more than one billion people, 20 per cent of the world’s population, don’t have water that’s safe for drinking, personal hygiene and domestic use. What’s more, nearly 3 billion people don’t have adequate sanitation facilities.
Even though a drop of water does not seem like a lot, a dripping tap can waste more than 190 L of water a day. That’s the same amount of water as:
- Flushing a toilet eight or more times.
- Running a dishwasher twice on full cycle.
- Taking one 19 minute shower.
Although it seems like there is water everywhere, especially during rainy seasons in Canada, it is not always easy to conserve and store large amounts of water.
The water we store in reservoirs, or use in rivers and ground water systems, is replenished at a specific rate depending on how much mountain ice melts and how much it rains. This makes it possible for us to use water at a quicker rate than it is replenished. With an increasing population and increasing water demand, this becomes a greater issue. When we reduce the water we use or prevent wasteful use of water, we can sustainibly help keep our water sources around for generations.
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