Hey Kids, It's Time to Test Your WaterSense! W t S
KIPS
Think you know everything there is to know about water? You can't be
sure until you test your WaterSense.
Circle your answers below. Use the answer key at the end to see how many questions you answer
correctly!
1. When is the best time of day to water your lawn?
A. Early morning or late evening
B. In the afternoon
C. All day long
2. How much water could you save by washing your bike with a bucket and sponge rather than
letting the hose run?
A. 1 gallon a minute
B. 3 gallons a minute
C. 4 gallons a minute
D. 5 gallons a minute
3. Which of these ways to wash the car saves the most water?
A. Wash it in the driveway with the garden hose
B. Drive it into the lake
C. Take it through a car wash that recycles water
4. How much water does a family of four (mom, dad, brother, and sister) use everyday?
A. 50
B. 100
C. 250
D. 400
5. True or False: It isn't important to save water because there is so much of it on Earth.
A. True
B. False
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6. Stuck helping mom or dad wash the dishes? Which may use less water?
A. Washing dishes under a running tap
B. Washing dishes in a fully loaded dishwasher
7. True or False: Keeping the water running when you brush your teeth wastes a lot of water.
A. True
B. False
8. Which of the following uses less water?
A. Taking a 5 minute shower
B. Taking a bath
9. Which of these everyday objects is a water-saving tool?
A. A bucket
B. A clock
C. A broom
D. All of the above
10. Which of these activities wastes the MOST water per day in the average home?
A. Running the tap while washing dishes
B. Using a garbage disposal
C. A leaky toilet
D. Long showers
11. True or False: It's okay to flush some trash down the toilet like cotton balls and tissue.
A. True
B. False
12. What should you do if you see or hear a leaky faucet in your house?
A. Ignore it—drips are no big deal
B. Do nothing—there is no way to fix a drippy faucet
C. Tell your parents
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Answer Key:
Answer: A
Although it is fun to run through the sprinklers at the hottest time of day, your lawn
should only be watered in the early morning or late evening when it's cooler. Watering
the yard when it's really hot outside causes the water to evaporate before the plants have
time to drink it.
2.
Answer: D
Washing your bike with a bucket and sponge will not only get your bike extra clean, it
will also save water. Hoses can waste more than 6 gallons a minute while a bucket only
uses a few gallons for a whole wash. Use a bucket and sponge when you help your
parents wash the car, too!
Answer: C
Many car washes save more water than if you wash your car at home. They do this by
recycling the water that they use instead of letting it run down the sewer drains. Tell your
parents to search online to find a "water-efficient" car wash near your house.
4.
Answer: D
How can a small family use so much water? It may seem hard to believe, but the average
person uses 100 gallons of water each day—that's enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses!
There are many things you can do to save water.
5.
Answer: B
Although there is a lot of water on earth (75 percent of the earth's surface!), most of it is
salt water so you can't drink it. It is very important to save the water we use every day
because less than 1 percent of the earth's water can be used by people!
6.
Answer: B
To waste the least amount of water in the kitchen, use your dishwasher only when it's
filled all of the way with dirty dishes. You could also fill the sink with water instead of
running the tap.
7.
Answer: A
You can save up to 8 gallons of water by turning off the faucet when you brush your
teeth in the morning and before bedtime. That adds up to more than 100 gallons of water
each month!
Answer: A
While it might be more fun to splash in a warm bath, it takes 70 gallons of water to fill a
tub but only 10 to 25 gallons for a 5 minute shower. If you do take a bath, put the stopper
in the drain right away and change the temperature as you fill the tub.
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9.
Answer: D
Put a bucket under the tap while you make the water the right temperature. The water you
collect can be used to water plants or fill up a squirt gun. Use a clock to keep your
showers under 5 minutes. Use a broom instead of the hose to clean your driveway or
sidewalk.
10.
Answer: C
A leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water every day! Ask to help your parents
test your toilets for leaks. Place a drop of food coloring in the tank and if the color shows
in the bowl for flushing, you have a leak.
11.
Answer: B
Flushing the toilet for silly reasons wastes a lot of water. Cutting out 1 flush per day
saves enough water to wash 32 loads of laundry each year.
12.
Answer: C
Leaky faucets are big water wasters. If you see or hear a leaky faucet, tell your parents
about it so they can get it fixed. If you don't, those drips and drops can add up to 2,700
gallons of wasted water in 1 year!
SCORING:
9 or more questions correct:
Congratulations, you're a WaterSense Hero! You understand that water is a precious resource
that must be used more efficiently. To learn more about the WaterSense program and how to be
more water efficient, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
6-8 questions correct:
You're a WaterSense Whiz Kid! To learn more about why water efficiency is important and how
you can become water-efficient, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
Less than 6 questions correct:
You're a WaterSense Wonder! But that means there's room for improvement! To learn more
about why water efficiency is important and how you can become water-efficient, visit
www.epa.gov/watersense.
Thank you for testing your WaterSense. Remember every drop counts!
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