Assignment: What's In Your Drinking Water In Japan?
After reading about water quality issues in the U.S. and around the world, we will be examining the water quality in our local communities. There are two types of sources for all fresh water. We get it either from underground sources, such as aquifers, or surface water from lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. In this activity, we will use an interactive website that allows us to look at our local water sources and the contaminants that can be found there.
First, read:
Mechenich, C., Andrews, E., Peterson, J.O. (2013) Home Water Safety: Evaluating the Condition of Your Public Water Supply.
Next:
1. Go to this Environmental Working Group website, The National Drinking Water Database.
2. Click on "Find Your Water" at the top of the page and follow the directions to find your location by entering your zip code into the box on the top right.
3. When the page opens, it lists all the communities and their separate water providers in your zip code.
Image of an example table from The National Drinking Water database. Information in the tables contains supplier name, location, and number of people served.
4. Select the one where you live or work (or closest to where you live) and click on the name of the supplier listed on the left side of the table. NOTE: If you have a private water source, such as a well, for your home, select the closest town or community near your home/work.
5. This opens to a table of contaminants tested for and a summary of all results. There will be four columns for Contaminants, Average/Maximum Result, Health Guidelines Exceeded, Contaminants Legal Limits Exceeded, then a graphic sliding scale for the testing history of results.
Image of a summary examples taken from The National Drinking Water database. Information consists of a list of contaminants from a specifc region, the testing result of the contaminant, whehter the health and legal limits were exceeded, and the testing history.
6. Scroll over a listed "contaminant" chemical or pollutant, and a pop-up box will give a brief description of where it came from and what it is. If you click on this, it will expand with further information.
Finally, post to the Discussion Board:
1. Tell us your location choice (town, state, etc.) and the name of the specific water supplier you chose.
2. Select one of the contaminants that are listed for your area that exceeded health or legal guidelines (or both), and one of the contaminants that did not.
3. Give a brief description of what these contaminants are and from where they come. For example: Manganese-a naturally occurring mineral that comes from mineral deposits in the soil and industrial use. (This is available by clicking on the contaminant, and a pop-up appears.)
4. How do the results for the contaminants in your water make you feel about your public water supply? Do you think that the government is doing enough to monitor and inform the public? Why or why not?
5. Discuss how this information may impact you and your family. Include any actions you may take going forward and how you might want to help your community if there is a problem.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.