It takes a lot of energy to run water and wastewater treatment plants, ensuring that every Tennessee resident has clean water. But did you know it also takes a lot of water to produce electricity? When we waste water we waste energy and when we waste energy we waste water!
This section includes 2 lessons. In “Water Detectives” students will:
- Identify inefficiencies in the water system and connect them with wasting money.
- Investigate the water delivery systems at home and consider how it could be made more efficient.
- Investigate and identify inefficiencies in our water system and consider possible options for reducing water use, such as reusing greywater.
In “Water Energy Nexus”, students will:
- Understand that energy is necessary to treat and transport drinking water to users.
- Understand that water is necessary in the production of electricity from coal, gas, oil, nuclear, or hydropower.
- Understand all goods have an energy and water cost.
- Understand the connection between watts, kilowatts, and kilowatt hours.
- Distinguish between the intended benefits and the unintended consequences of a new technology.