The Cost of Water

This slideshow is part of a four-part educational series on Ground Water.

Pre-Discussion

Does water seem like a free resource to you? How many ways can you think of that water actually has costs?

Focus Discussion Question

• What are the different costs of tap water and bottled water?

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Extension Activity

Make a table with two columns, one for Benefits and one for Challenges. How many of each can you think of for using bottled water?
How much responsibility do we owe future generations to keep our planet clean?

Links to Learn More

• Bottled Water Costs 2000x More Than Tap,  Business Insider - A summary of facts about bottled water consumption and what it costs consumers.
• The High Costs of Bottled Water, Choice Online - Drop for drop, bottled water costs about 2000 times more than tap water, so what are we paying for?  This article provides an Australian perspective on bottled water vs. tap water.
• Water Quality: The Lincoln, Nebraska Water System, City of Lincoln, Nebraska: Water Quality - A short article on how a typical municipality attempts to insure high quality for our drinking water.
• The American Water Works Association: Drinking Water Regulations, American Water Works Association - An overview of how tap water is regulated.
• Tapped: The Movie, Atlas Films - This documentary answers the question, “Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce?

NGSS Correlations

• Performance Expectation: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems. MS - ESS.3, Earth and Human Activity.
• Disciplinary Core Idea: Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. ESS3.A, Natural Resources.
• Science & Engineering Practices:  Engaging in Argument from Evidence.