Since I have had so much fun in the Everglades, I thought we would do a related experiment this week. One of the most important things in the Everglades is water. There is a very delicate balance here, since the Everglades rely on the same water sources used by Miami and other cities, area farmers and industry. That makes it very important for people in this area to conserve water, but water conservation is important everywhere. Most people have no idea of how much water they waste every day. To give you an idea, we are going make a few tests. You will need:

- water
- measuring cups

Even little things can make a big difference in conserving water. You would be amazed how much water goes down the drain for something as simple as a dripping faucet. To see how much water this can waste, turn on the water faucet just enough to get a steady drip, drip, drip of water. Place the measuring cup under the faucet. Now wait for 15 minutes. Turn off the water and look to see how much water you collected. Multiply this by 4 and you will see how much drips away in an hour. Multiply that by 24 and you have how much drips in a day. Multiply that by 365 and you have a year's worth of drips, which is a lot of water.

Next its time to brush your teeth. Do you leave the water running while you brush? If you do, place a large bowl under the faucet when you brush your teeth. When you finish, use the measuring cups to see how much water ran down the drain while you were brushing. Multiply that by the number of times a day you brush your teeth. Then multiply that by 365 for a year's worth of tooth brushing. Again, over a year it is amazing how much water is wasted this way. Place the empty pan back under the faucet. This time, turn the water on long enough to wet the toothbrush and then turn it off. Turn it on only when you are using it. Measure to see how much you saved. Over a year, that could be a lot of water, especially if you have several people in your family.

There are many things that you can do to use water more wisely. For example, instead of pouring the water you use in these experiments down the drain, pour it on potted plants or flower beds that need water anyway. Every little bit helps. Look around your house to find all the ways that you use water. Can you figure how many gallons your family uses each day? If you look at your utility bill, you should be able to get an idea of how many gallons you use each month. Multiply that by 12 and you get an idea of how much you use each year.

Here is a math problem for you. Yes, I know that this is supposed to be science, but math plays a very large role in the world of science. Find out the population of your city. If each person in the city saved one cup of water each day, how much water would they save after one year? Yes, even small savings can add up.