Text-Based Quiz
It's Time to Test Your WaterSense!
The average person unknowingly wastes up to 30 gallons of water
every day. And since usable water is a limited resource, 36 states
could be facing water shortage problems by 2013.
How well do you understand your own water usage? Do you know how
to best save water in your home? Test your knowledge with the following
quiz, and find out if you're a WaterSense novice, expert, or genius!
Scroll down for answers.
1. The average family of four uses approximately __ gallons of
water per day?
A. 50
B. 100
C. 250
D. 400
2. How much of the water on earth is available for people's everyday
use?
A. More than 50%
B. 28%
C. Less than 1%
D. 12%
3. How much water can you save per day by turning off the tap
while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime?
A. Up to 2 gallons
B. Up to 4 gallons
C. Up to 8 gallons
D. Up to 6 gallons
4. Which of the following uses less water?
A. Taking a five minute shower
B. Taking a bath
5. In the average household, which of the following wastes the
MOST water per day?
A. Running the tap while washing dishes
B. Using a garbage disposal
C. A leaky toilet
D. Long showers
6. How much water is saved per flush with a high-efficiency toilet?
A. 0.6 to 1.9 gallons
B. 2.2 to 5.7 gallons
C. More than 6 gallons
7. How much water used for irrigating lawns and gardens, on average,
is wasted due to overwatering and evaporation?
A. 50%
B. 25%
C. 15%
D. 10%
8. A water-efficient irrigation system may include which features?
A. Drip irrigation
B. Moisture sensors
C. Rain shut-off device
D. All of the above
9. Which of the following uses less water?
A. Washing dishes under a running tap
B. Washing dishes in a fully loaded automatic dishwasher without
pre-rinsing
10. Between 1950 and 2000, the U.S. population grew by 89 percent;
approximately how much has our water use grown in the same period?
A. 200%
B. 50%
C. 100%
D. 25%
11. High-efficiency washing machines save about how much water
per load compared to traditional models?
A. 2-5 gallons
B. 7-10 gallons
C. 11-13 gallons
D. 14 gallons or more
12. Easily corrected household water leaks account for what percentage
of the average water bill?
A. 2%
B. 4%
C. 6%
D. 8%
Answer Key
1. D
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It may seem hard to believe, but the average person uses
100 gallons of water each daythat's enough to fill 1,600
drinking glasses. This water use can easily be cut by as much
as 30 percent if American households took a few simple steps
to use water more efficiently.
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2. C
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About 75 percent of the earth's surface is covered by water,
but less than 1 percent of this is available for people to
use. The rest is salt water, locked in inaccessible locations
underground, or is frozen in polar ice caps and glaciers.
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3. C
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The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons
per minute; by simply turning the tap off, you can save more
than 100 gallons of water per person each month.
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4. A
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Taking a five minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons of water,
while a full tub requires about 70 gallons. If you take a
bath, stopper the drain immediately and adjust the temperature
as you fill the tub.
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5. C
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A leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water every
day! To tell if your toilet is leaking, place a drop of food
coloring in the tank; if the color shows in the bowl without
flushing, you have a leak.
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6. B |
If your toilet is from 1992 or earlier, you probably have
an inefficient model that uses between 3.5 to 7 gallons per
flush. New high-efficiency models use less than 1.3 gallons
per flushthat's 60 to 80 percent less water than their
less efficient counterparts.
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7. A |
Water-efficient irrigation systems help save water, potentially
more than 11 billion gallons per year across the United States.
This is equal to the amount of water used by 3,200 garden
hoses flowing constantly for one year!
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8. D |
Inefficient or poorly maintained irrigation systems can waste
water and money each month. Look for sprinklers that produce
dropletsnot mist. Systems with rain shutoff devices
and moisture sensors reduce excess watering and runoff.
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9. B |
To waste the least amount of water in the kitchen,
operate your automatic dishwasher only when it's fully loaded.
Filling the sink or a bowl instead of running water can save
an average of 25 gallons. |
10. A |
With demand outstripping supply, 36 states anticipate
some degree of water shortage by 2013. |
11. D |
High-efficiency washing machines use less than
27 gallons of water per load, compared to traditional models
that use an average of 41 gallons. To achieve even greater savings,
adjust water levels in the washing machine to match the size
of the load. |
12. D |
Leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drip
per second can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water each year.
If you're unsure if you have a leak, read your water meter before
and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If
the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have
a leak. |
SCORING
9 or more questions correct:
Congratulations, you're a WaterSense genius! You understand that
water is a precious resource that must be used more efficiently.
To learn more about the WaterSense program and how to be more water-efficient,
visit the WaterSense Web site.
6-8 questions correct:
You're a WaterSense expert! Learn more about why water efficiency
is important and how you can become more water-efficient, visit
the WaterSense Web site.
Less than 6 questions correct:
You're a WaterSense novice. But that means there's room for improvement!
Learn more about why water efficiency is important and how you can
become more water-efficient, visit the WaterSense
Web site.
Thank you for testing your WaterSense. Remember every drop counts!
Please visit the Simple Steps
to Save Water brochure for more information on how you can become
water-efficient.
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