Water

Water is a precious natural resource. We appear to have an abundance of water in parts of Washington, but we cannot be wasteful with how we use and manage it. The growing demand for water and increasing development pressures is affecting water availability and quality in some areas, raising concerns about the potential impacts on public health, wildlife, and surface water resources. 

The purpose of the Water Assessment (pdf) is to identify current school water use practices and to begin thinking about how water use can reduced and how water quality can be protected. Use this assessment to find out what your school is already doing to reduce water consumption and protect water quality, and use the results to choose a long lasting environmental change.

Use this Indoor Water Audit Worksheet (xls) to help you complete the audit at the end of the water assessment. This worksheet will help you calculate the water used in school restrooms. Compare your results with school-wide usage.

This Water Assessment Guide (pdf) provides helpful hints and background information about many of the assessment questions.

The Water Action List (pdf) allows you to choose a number of water conserving practices or techniques. Points are earned for each action item.  The goal is to pick actions that address areas of high or inefficient water use that you find at your school.

This Water Educator's Guide (pdf) includes vocabulary terms, discussion questions, and other supporting resources to help teachers integrate these issues into their curriculum.