Lexus challenge

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=0AaurTi-dELRHZGR4amIyOG1fMGd2cXR4N2Q2&hl=en

Water Testing Connection

My groups topic is water pollution. We are researching the affects things like fertilizer and other chemicals have on our rivers and lakes. Our group is trying to increase the awareness of our products effect on the environment. If we can increase awareness people would recycle there chemicals instead of throwing them in the trash. Also people might use more environmently friendly products.
With our bio-bottles we are trying to test the effects of chemicals. Our groups is testing fertilizer and ph levels in our bio-bottles. Bio-bottles are a great way to test the effects chemicals have because its a compact eco system, It has plant/life, air, dirt, and water.
At the river test we had to test phosphates. Feritizer has a lot of phosphates, so do other chemicals around a common household. Many chemicals we use eventally get to our rivers and water we drink (normally its processed out befor we drink it). The river testing should tell us how much chemicals are in our water. If theirs too much chemicals in our water it will kill wild life in our water.

Water Plant

Yesterday my class went to water treatment plant in our town. The water plant processes the water we drink in cities. We learned that we had 6 wells, 3 gravel wells and 3 rock wells. Gravel wells are wells that are 60 feet deep in the ground. Rock wells are wells that are 300 ft deep. Gravel wells refill a lot quicker then rock since rock wells take 1000s of years to refill, while Gravel wells take 50 years to refill. Gravel wells need to be tested often to make sure nothing toxic in the water. Our town has 38 miles of piping running through our town. Our town tests water more often then it has to, by state law, to make sure our water is clean. This is what I learned yesterday and the water treatment plant.

Water Treatment

In cities, water is treated before it come to your houses. Our water comes from wells undergrounds, then the water is treated with chlorine, iron is removed, and fluoride is added (  http://www.ci.eaton-rapids.mi.us/documents/2009CCR_000.pdf  ). Water is treated with chlorine to remove pollinates like viruses/bacterias, oils, gases, and other chemicals in the water. And fluoride is added for dental benefits. This is how water is treated. Sewer water is also treated before it put back in the rivers. They need to do this because chemicals from the road (like oil) and other chemicals would have a harmful affect on the Eco system.

Why is chlorine added to the water?

What is removed from the water?

Carbon Footprint

http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/    I found it to be a good site for calculating carbon footprint, id say that even for younger kids. My carbon footprint was 21 ton of CO2. 3 ways i could lower my carbon footprint would be using less hot water, more energy efferent appliances/bulbs, use A/C less often. 3 things our schools can lower carbon footprint by encouraging more kids to ride the bus or carpool, use solar/wind energy, and more energy efferent bulbs. 3 things our community can do to lower carbon footprint is to encourage more people to recycle (or even start collecting recycling), encourage more people to walk/bike/carpool, solar/hydro/wind energy. How all the connects to the water plant is all the Carbon and other waste we use gets into our rivers and lakes. We have to start thinking of what affects this will have on future of our water supplies and the temperature of the earth.