Where Water and Energy Meet

Where Water and Energy Meet 

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:

1. Identify inefficiencies in the water system and connect them with wasting money. 
2. Investigate the water delivery systems at home and consider how it could be made more efficient.
3. 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:

1. Understand that energy is necessary to treat and transport drinking water to users.
2. Understand that water is necessary in the production of electricity from coal, gas, oil, nuclear, or hydropower.
3. Understand all goods have an energy and water cost.
4. Understand the connection between watts, kilowatts, and kilowatt hours.
5. Distinguish between the intended benefits and the unintended consequences of a new technology.

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