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-5 https://newsela.com/read/elem-student-water-bill/id/30422/

-4 https://newsela.com/read/elem-es-west-indian-manatee/id/41901/

-3 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/06/25/americans-are-conserving-water-like-never-before-according-to-the-latest-federal-data/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.28c8a13971c1

-2 https://thewaterproject.org/water_conservation

-1 https://newsela.com/read/nps-water-bottle-ban/id/35839/

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5- book what is waste water
4- Article climate change in the us Midwest
3- book protecting our natural resources
2- article plans for unlimiting dumping of fracking wastewater in the gulf
1- Article 100 ways to conserve water

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Drought- A very dry and hot period of time, with little water
Waste water- water that has been used at home or in a business or part of an industrial process
Climate- the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period
Pollution- the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects
Shortage- a state or situation in which something needed cannot be obtain in sufficient amounts

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Water- A transparent liquid that comes from lakes, rivers, rain and is needed in many organisms
Contamination- Polluting or making something poisonous by spreading
Water cycle - the process of water traveling from sky to underground through evaporation,condensation, precipitation, transpiration and percolation
Environment - An area in which a human, animal or living organism is settled
Conserve- To reuse or to protect from danger

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this has been affecting the environment many times and has caused many deaths

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Of all the ways climate change inflicts harm, drought is the one people worry about most, according to a Pew Research Center survey. And it's not surprising - droughts have been drier and lasting longer in recent years thanks in part to climate change. In 2012, the central and western US was hit particularly hard when 81 percent of the country was living in abnormally dry conditions, causing $30 billion in damages and putting the health and safety of many Americans at risk.

But droughts aren't only hitting the US hard. Many regions in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are also experiencing higher air temperatures, drier air, and more severe or frequent droughts. One recent NASA study revealed that a drought that's been affecting the eastern Mediterranean Levant region since 1998 is likely the worst in the past 900 years.

So what's the relationship between climate change and drought? What areas does drought affect most? What will happen if the planet keeps warming? In this post, we'll answer these tough questions and share key facts about climate change and drought.

What's the link between climate change and drought?

While droughts can have different causes depending on the area of the world and other natural factors, the majority of scientists have started to link more intense droughts to climate change. That's because as more greenhouse gas emissions are released into the air, causing air temperatures to increase, more moisture evaporates from land and lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. Warmer temperatures also increase evaporation in plant soils, which affects plant life and can reduce rainfall even more. And when rainfall does come to drought-stricken areas, the drier soils it hits are less able to absorb the water, increasing the likelihood of flooding - a lose-lose situation.

Cape Town May Become The First Major City To Run Dry - But It Might Not Be The Last

What are some of the major impacts of drought?

It goes without saying droughts can be detrimental to the environment. But droughts also have serious consequences for people's livelihoods, affecting everything from agriculture and water supply to transportation and health. Nearly 40 percent of the world - 1.3 billion people - relies on agriculture as its main source of income. So if severe droughts lead water shortages in an area dependent on agriculture, it puts the health and wellbeing not only of animals and crops at risk, but of the farmers and communities that depend on them too. To get a sense of the scale of this threat in the US alone, in 2012, the US Department of Agriculture declared a natural disaster in 2,245 counties because of severe droughts. That's a lot of people and a lot of communities living with drought.

Nor is the impact limited to farming communities. As increasing drought means some crops begin to yield less, food costs spike for the rest of us and threat of shortages begins to grow in some areas.

Then there are consequences you might not immediately think about - like greater wildfires. Thanks to rising temperatures, shorter winters, and longer summers, western US wildfire frequency has increased by 400 percent since 1970. Damaging wildfires have occurred in recent years in places like California, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. That's because droughts dry out the land, killing plant life and creating tinderbox conditions. And, with less predictable rains, it's harder to stop these fires once they begin. These wildfires can leave communities and governments with millions of dollars in damages, not to mention the incalculable costs of lost plant, animal, and even human life.

What happens if the planet keeps getting warmer?

While scientists can't say with absolute certainty what will happen in specific regions as it relates to drought and climate change, the general consensus is clear: warming temperatures are likely to continue creating drier conditions over the next half century in some parts of the world, potentially reaching levels we haven't seen in some regions in modern times. In one recent study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, researchers predict large parts of the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and Asia may be threatened the most.

What can we do?

If we want to prevent droughts from getting worse or more frequent, we need to stop climate change and preserve our water supply. Communities shouldn't have to live with the looming threat of wildfires, food shortages, and lost income because of climate change exacerbated drought. Especially when the way forward is so clear.

If our leaders take the right steps to cut the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change and live up to the rest of their commitments in the Paris Agreement, we can stay on the path to ending the crisis and help lessen the threat for longer and more dangerous droughts all around the world.

Ready to help make a difference for the future of our planet? Sign up to get updates from The Climate Reality Project and join us for our next training.

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The Facts About Climate Change and Drought

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Of all the ways climate change inflicts harm, drought is the one people worry about most, according to a Pew Research Center survey. And it's not surprising - droughts have been drier and lasting longer in recent years thanks in part to climate change.

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How did people waste all this water in the first place?
Where did all the water go?
The water never really got wasted it just went through the water cycle, it evaporated and rained down and provided fresh new water, so why do people keep saying" save water or you won't have any". It is really annoying so please just conserve the water that we share.

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In the video how to conserve water at home it gives support for
ways to conserve water without spending much money -for example turning off the foset while brushing your teeth or washing in full loads.
Simple ways to conserve
-install low flow shower heads
- low flow toilests

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Water Conservation Animation Water Conservation Tips Water Conservation and Livestock Volcanic Eruptions Water Conservation Carly Bats in California Coffee Cake Water Conservation by Isabella Use Water and Water Conservation Water Conservation Rivers Lakers Reading Rainbow Water Conservation Water Conservation Green Hurr

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The reason for water shortages:
-People are the reason for these water shortages, if we can make an effort to save water then we will get our water back
- Overfishing
-Oil spills
- Littering

What water conservation is:
- the act of saving our environment
-We can save water by taking shorter showers and fixing any leaks immediatly

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Op-Ed Contributor

Image

Credit Credit Niv Bavarsky

Austin, Tex. - AMERICA has a water problem. To put it simply, the national network for providing safe, clean water is falling apart.

This state of affairs, which is the focus of a summit meeting on Tuesday at the White House, threatens more than our drinking water supplies. Water is used in every sector of industry, grows our food, affects our health and props up our energy system.

The price of this neglect will be high. In Flint, Mich., the mayor has estimated that it will cost as much as $1.5 billion to fix or replace lead pipes. Over all, repairing our water and wastewater systems could cost $1.3 trillion or more, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. We need to do this to improve water quality, protect natural ecosystems and ensure a reliable supply for our cities, agriculture and industry.

The problem is a result of many factors, including old, leaky pipes; archaic pricing; and a remarkable lack of data about how much water we use.

In cities across the country, billions of gallons of water disappear every day through leaky pipes. Houston alone lost 22 billion gallons in 2012. As the water expert David Sedlak at the University of California, Berkeley, has noted, the water system is facing a double whammy: It has reached the end of its service life just as climate change and population growth have increased its burdens. No wonder the civil engineers society gave the nation's drinking water systems a grade of D in 2013.

Wastewater treatment systems are also in serious need of upgrading. Flooding strains treatment plants and sewer systems in many older cities, causing them to discharge untreated sewage whenever rainfall or snowmelt overwhelm them. After Hurricane Sandy, treatment plants in the New York area backed up, with sewage flowing the wrong direction from drainage pipes. The New York Times noted that in one neighborhood "a plume of feces and wastewater burst through the street like a geyser."

Droughts also jeopardize water supplies, causing cities in the West to reach farther or dig deeper to get their water. Outside Las Vegas, Lake Mead, fed by the Colorado River, was recently measured at 39 percent of capacity.

These problems are compounded by an antiquated system of regulations, dysfunctional water markets, policies that encourage overpumping, and contracts that discourage conservation by requiring customers to pay for water they don't use. These approaches depress investment and inhibit innovation.

To fix our water systems, we need prices that lead to more rational water use and invite needed investment, data to track water resources and usage, and much more research and development.

Take prices, for example. Water prices should rise or fall according to supply and demand. The idea that the price should be the same in the dry season (when supplies are low and demand for irrigation is high) as the wet season (when supplies are high and demand is low) is nonsense.

Water utilities should take a page out of the energy sector's playbook. Electric utilities had been plagued for decades by many of the same difficulties. But now they are moving toward time-of-use pricing, with prices rising when demand is up, and inverted block pricing, where prices increase with consumption. Allowing these price shifts would change user behavior. Higher prices would encourage conservation and new technologies.

Regulations can ensure that the first few gallons per person per day are cheap or free, with escalating costs beyond that. Water for necessities such as drinking, cooking and hygiene should be affordable. Beyond that, water for lawns, filling swimming pools, washing cars and other uses should be more expensive.

We also have to fix our data gaps. We are operating blind. Compared to sectors like energy, where robust statistics on prices, production and consumption are generated weekly, key information on water use and supply is missing or published only every few years.

We should increase the federal budgets for water monitoring. Establishing a Water Information Administration, just as the Department of Energy has an Energy Information Administration, to collect, curate and maintain up-to-date, publicly available water data would inform policy makers and the markets.

Congress should also significantly increase support for water research and development, making sure to include the private sector as a partner.

We need breakthroughs in water treatment technology that would enable larger-scale recycling and reuse of treated water, desalination, and aquifer storage and recovery. These improvements range from the mundane - better pumps and home appliances - to advanced nanomaterials for energy-efficient water treatment.

The water industry's risk-averse culture has resisted innovation. Higher prices and government-backed research and development could help prompt a wave of innovation and investment. This is what happened with hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, two technologies advanced through government research that kicked off the shale boom.

The water problem is daunting. But putting a sensible price on water to invite investment and encourage conservation, increasing the availability of information and doubling down on innovation can go a long way toward solving it.

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Opinion | Our Water System: What a Waste

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Op-Ed Contributor Austin, Tex. - AMERICA has a water problem. To put it simply, the national network for providing safe, clean water is falling apart. This state of affairs, which is the focus of a summit meeting on Tuesday at the White House, threatens more than our drinking water supplies.

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In climate change, in the us Midwest. The author examines how global warming is causing deaths, droughts and decreasing levels of population, he explains how growing crops will become more difficult how droughts can cause increasingly unpredictable weather. This shows how DROUGHTS ARE CAUSEING DIFFECULT TIMES  for example because they are causing more common wildfires and forests are threatened  which increases temperature and fish are decreasing

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Newsela | Climate change in the U.S. Midwest

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How the climate is changing in the Midwest.

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In south africa people have recently had a drought and are suffering drasticly. They need this water to survive and it is very had to obtain because the water is very dirty.

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Newsela | South African city on shut-off notice as water crisis worsens

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Reservoirs around drought-stricken Cape Town are almost dry, forcing major water use limits

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Summary on Water conservation w/central idea

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Summary on Water conservation w/central idea

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In "Protecting the oceans" by John D. Bains the author proves that we are disrespecting our oceans by littering, spilling oil into the oceans, and overfishing, which is causing these oceans to become weak without any defense and this explains why the water supply is decreasing. This book talks about how our Oceans have been suffering because of us people, we are the reason for the Ocean's misery, so if we don't start to care then the Ocean will not care about us.

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In "what is waste water" page 6 the central idea is Waste water can harm rivers and lakes, for example the author examines how businesses sometimes dump there waste water into lakes and it contains harmful chemicals. In it which can harm the environment, this shows how waste water can cause pollution and can harm many animals in lakes and oceans.

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In the book "what is waste water" by Barbara M. Linde, page 8 it explaines how waste water all started, it shows how waste water starts out as clean drinkable water, but it all goes into pipes and travals into sewer mains  which join larger pipes and carry the waste water into wastewater treatment. Plant which leads into oceans and causes animals to suffer.

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(NaturalNews) If you think that there are rules in place limiting the amount of toxic chemicals that can be released into the nation's waters, the Center for Biological Diversity has some bad news for you: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to allow unlimited amounts of fracking wastewater to be dumped into the Gulf of Mexico.

The EPA's draft plan to keep permitting gas and oil companies to dump unlimited fracking wastewater and chemicals into the Gulf is coming under fire, with some environmentalists pointing out that the move violates federal laws.

Attorneys working for the Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter to EPA officials in September warning them that the draft permit does not take into account the way in which dumping this wastewater could affect the quality of not just the water but also the marine life living in it.

They also raised concerns that important parts of the draft permit were based on data that is seriously outdated. The letter states that the study of waste fluid produced by offshore platforms that they used is 33 years old, despite the fact that more than 450 wells have been drilled just in the area in question in the past six years. Meanwhile, the most recent list of chemicals for offshore fracking is 15 years old. They added that finalizing the law without making corrections would violate the Clean Water Act.

Center for Biological Diversity attorney Kristen Monsell said: "This appalling plan from the agency that's supposed to protect our water violates federal law, and shows a disturbing disregard for offshore fracking's toxic threats to sea turtles and other Gulf wildlife."

This letter does stand a chance of being taken seriously. After all, just a few months ago, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit that led to a temporary moratorium being placed on Pacific Ocean offshore fracking. The same group is also mounting a challenge to the practice of Santa Barbara Channel fracking on the grounds it violates the Endangered Species Act.

Hundreds of wells in the Gulf of Mexico have seen the controversial practices used in recent years. In offshore fracking, chemicals, water and sand are pumped into undersea wells at very high pressure in order to break up formations of sand and rock to create pathways in which gas and oil can pass. Drillers also engage in a process known as "acidizing", which means the wells are treated with hydrochloric acid and other corrosive acids.

Marine wildlife being threatened

Many of the chemicals used in the process harm marine wildlife, and this is particularly troublesome in the Gulf area, where many species are still dealing with the effects of the BP oil spill that took place six years ago. The Gulf is an important habitat for sea turtles, fish, whales, and dolphins. This marine life needs clean water, not more toxins being pumped into the very environment it depends on to thrive.

Incredibly, the EPA allows offshore drillers to dump as much fracking and acidizing chemicals as they see fit into the water, provided that they are first mixed with wastewater from the undersea wells. More than 75 billion gallons of these so-called produced waters were dumped into the Gulf directly from gas and oil platforms in 2014 alone. While this water must adhere to toxicity standards and be free of oil, testing is only required a few times a year, which means there is a good chance that plenty of undesirable chemicals are making their way into the water anyway.

More than 1,000 fracking chemicals make their way into water

In a Yale School of Public Health analysis of fracking wastewater and fluids, researchers found 1,021 different chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Of these, 157 were associated with developmental or reproductive toxicity, underscoring the need for new regulations to be put in place to stop companies from pumping these toxins into our waters.
Sources include: PopularResistance.org NaturalNews.com
www.biologicaldiversity.org

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EPA plans for unlimited dumping of fracking wastewater in the Gulf

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(NaturalNews) If you think that there are rules in place limiting the amount of toxic chemicals that can be released into the nation's waters, the Center for Biological Diversity has some bad news for you: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to allow unlimited amounts of fracking wastewater to be dumped into the Gulf of Mexico.

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"Protecting our natural resources" by Rebecca E. Hirsch
-Replace anything that water can leak from because over time they may waste TONS of water
-Households use lots of water for many uses such as the sink, shower, hoses.
-Recycle your trash
- Water is very limited so don't waste it

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Americans use 80-100 gallons of water, on a daily bases. This is earths most precious resource, but today water has become more valuable. But there are many ways to conserve it, today the average toilet uses 6 gallons per flush. And you can conserve water by replacing them with, water sense models. Which would equal to 640 billion gallons of water saving per year. You can also conserve water by turning it off while brushing your teeth. You can save 8 gallons per day, another way you can conserve water is when doing laundry, you should wash in full loads, because if you do this  you can conserve 35% less water. If you do all this you can help save the planet from droughts and start saving energy and water.

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Did you know that as an American you likely use between 80 to 100 gallons of water each day? Every single day. Yes, that's more than 29,000 gallons each year. And the mind-boggling part? The largest household use of water is flushing the toilet. We are literally flushing one of the earth's most precious resources down the toilet.

That's the bad news. The good news is there is much you can do to conserve water. Every drop counts-just ask the thousands of Californians whose wells have gone dry.

First let's figure out your toilet's water use. It should say somewhere on it how many gallons it uses per flush. If it uses 1.6 gallons per flush, it is meeting the federal standard. Bonus points if it says 1.28 gallons per flush and meets the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WaterSense standards. It'll save 20% over the 1.6-gallon model. If your toilet is an older, much less efficient model it is likely using 6 gallons of water per flush and costing you an extra $100 per year. According to EPA, if all of the inefficient toilets in the country were replaced with WaterSense models, it would equal 640 billion gallons of water savings per year. That's the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in two weeks.

Whether you already have a low-flow toilet or not, be sure it is functioning properly and not leaking. To do this, open the back of the toilet and drop in a few drops of food coloring. If that color appears in the toilet bowl within the next 15 minutes or so, you have a leak that needs to be fixed as soon as possible. (Tip: Do this test right before you are going to flush it anyway to avoid staining.)

Even though toilets are the biggest household user of water, they aren't the only way you are wasting water in the bathroom. If you turn off the water while brushing your teeth, you can save up to eight gallons of water per day-that's nearly 3,000 gallons per year.

The shower is another place with the potential to save a lot of water. Federal regulations mandate that showerheads can't exceed 2.5 gallons of flow per minute, but the very best use 2 gallons per minute or less. Not only can you conserve water by installing a low-flow showerhead, but you can also save energy (and money) on water heating.

Some people also have their washer and dryer in their bathrooms, leaving yet another way to conserve water in this room of the house. When is it time to do laundry, be sure you are only washing full loads. If you do have to wash a small load, be sure to use the appropriate water level setting. Also, look for ENERGY STAR clothes washers, which clean clothes using 35% less water and 20% less energy than standard appliances.

If you follow all of these tips for water conservation, you are bound to make your bathroom the most water-conscious room in your house. You can then move on to finding ways to conserve in the kitchen and yard!

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Did you know that as an American you likely use between 80 to 100 gallons of water each day? Every single day. Yes, that's more than 29,000 gallons each year. And the mind-boggling part? The largest household use of water is flushing the toilet.

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Even though there may be a lot of water in this world it is not all clean and obtainable, over the years the population on planet earth has increased massively, this means that since there are more people more water is consumed. Today water is very scarce and if we don't conserve water then future generations might not live to have any. So today we can make a change and conserve water by not using the dishwasher and laundry machines as much and remembering to turn off the water whenever you are done using it. There may be water filters to clean the water but the water is more limited then the filters, and the water is more valuable. So cherish your water or you won't get to have any.

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America's population has doubled over the last half century, and our demand for water has tripled. Water conservation is more important than ever, and the world is looking for tips on saving water. The great news is that with just a few simple changes, you can reduce your water footprint. And Constellation is here to help!

How to save water: 10 tips for saving water around the home

The majority of household water use comes from toilets, washing machines, showers, baths, faucets and leaks, but what you can do to save water is fairly simple. These 10 water-saving tips will put you on the path to conserving water in your household.

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Learn what water conservation is, why it's important to you, and Constellation's top 10 tips for saving water around the home.