Home Water Audit
This program offers STEM education for middle school students to inspire simple actions that result in real water savings. Students learn how they can save water at home by using technology and promoting small water smart behavioral changes. This program has three components:
- Introductory Lesson: A 50-minute interactive presentation led by Arizona Project WET (APW) Water Educators. Students are introduced to water conservation technology and behaviors. At the end of the presentation, students are assigned an action project for homework.
- Student Action Project: This project compels students to investigate daily water use at their bathroom faucet at home. They interview the faucet users to find out how long the faucet is on for each use and for how many times a day. Faucet flow is then measured. After collecting initial flow data, students are given the opportunity to replace their current faucet aerator with a water efficient aerator. By installing water efficient devices, students take action to save water. Students calculate their real water savings and submit their data in the reporting form on our website. Our online reporting and graphing features enable students to compare their daily and annual savings with others in their county or classrooms. APW will provide the materials for this project, including a water efficient aerator, water flow rate bag, and data collection sheet for each student.
- Follow Up Presentation: Water Educators return to the classroom to go over students’ observations and data. Water Educators also help students grasp what it means to save gallons of water. The presentation ends by providing information for students to find additional resources to help them become better water stewards.
We hope students learn that small changes can make a big difference. As we teach them through exploration, inquiry, observation, and the use of technology, we hope to inspire students to take action for water conservation.
We are currently offering APW facilitated presentations for this program to Avondale, Chandler, Litchfield Park, Pinal County, and the Tucson area. Don’t delay…request a presentation today!
For teachers outside the service area: If you would like to implement the program, we offer a free Home Water Audit Presenter’s Guide that you could use to lead the activity with your students. Please contact Kerry Schwartz at kls4@arizona.edu for more information. You may also check out the Community Action tab on our website where you can find additional resources, such as our faucet aerator installation video that walks students through the data collection process and shows them how to install new water efficient aerators.