Water never stops moving. Snow and rain fall to the earth from clouds. The rain and melted snow run downhill into rivers and lakes, sometimes crashing over waterfalls. Eventually the water flows into the ocean.

During evaporation, the water turns from liquid into gas, and moves from oceans and lakes into the atmosphere where it forms clouds. Then the cycle begins all over again.

Put the letters in the right order to complete a thought!

All living things need __________(tawer) to live.

When water evaporates, it travels into the air and becomes
part of a __________(dlocu).

Less than 1% of all the water on earth is __________(sefrh) water.

We __________(ikrdn) water in the liquid form.

Check for leaks and save hundreds of __________(glloans) of water a day.

You'll save water by taking a quick __________(howser).

Wash bikes and cars with a __________(kecbut) and a spounge instead of a running hose.

Ask your __________(mfaiyl) to look for ways to save water.

*Answer at bottom of page

Water Word Search

Easy Ways to Conserve H₂O

Don’t let it run. We have all developed the bad habit of letting the faucet run while we brush our teeth or wait for a cold glass of water. Keeping a pitcher of water in the refrigerator or turning the faucet off while we brush our teeth can save several gallons of water each day! It’s simple really, before you turn on the tap, think of ways you can use less water to accomplish the same purpose.

Fix the drip. There is no such thing as a little drip. A leaky faucet with a drip of just 1/16 of an inch in diameter (about this big –o–) can waste 10 gallons of water every day. You can turn off that drip by replacing worn washers or valve seats with the help of your parents.

The silent leak. Even worse than the careless hand on the faucet is the silent toilet bowl leak, probably the single greatest water waster in homes. A leak of 1 gallon every 24 minutes—an average amount—totals 2.5 gallons per hour or 60 gallons per day! To check your toilet for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait. If the color appears in the bowl, then there’s a leak. Often these leaks can be fixed with a few minor adjustments, cleaning calcium deposits from the toilet ball in the tank, or by replacing worn valves.

Close the hose. Letting the garden hose run faster or longer than necessary while we water the lawn or wash the car often becomes a careless and wasteful habit. A ½ inch garden hose under normal water pressure pours out more than 600 gallons of water per hour and a ¾ inch hose delivers almost 1,900 gallons in the same length of time. If left on overnight, one garden hose can easily waste twice as much water as the average family uses in a month.

Check the plumbing. Proper maintenance is one of the most effective water savers. Faucet washers are inexpensive and take only a few minutes, a wrench, and a screwdriver to replace. At home, check all water taps, hoses, and hose connections (even those that connect to dishwashers and washing machines) for leaks. Check the garden hose too—it should be turned off at the faucet, not just at the nozzle.

What's the Word Answer

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