1
Cornelia Jiyeon Kim
Sustainable System
3 Dec 2014
Final Project
Every Water Counts
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, we use 80 to 100 gallons of water per
day and generally waste about 95% of the water we use, everyday1. That means we waste
76 to 95 gallons per day per person. It’s a huge amount. That number rapidly brings the
water scarcity, which is a serious issue like climate change in the world. Near future, we
will have a limit of how much water people are going to be allowed to use. The price of
water is keep increasing, so that later saving water is going to be equal to saving money.
Therefore, we should realize the seriousness of the situation, and begin to save the water
from our life.
Water scarcity is a thoughtful problem for a long time. Although the water is a
basic need for our body, we usually do not treat it as precious. Actually, there are not
enough available water resources to have demand of water usage within a region. There
are already one billion people in specific region like Africa cannot even drink clean and
safe water, but most of us do not notice that how much clean water we waste everyday.2
In addition, water scarcity gives lots of negative impacts on the environment like
1
"How Much Water Do People Waste?" Premier Water Systems. Accessed December 4,
2014. http://premierwatersystems.com/how-much-water-do-people-waste/
2 "Water & Sanitation." UNICEF USA. Accessed November 13, 2014.
http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/survival/water
2
increased salinity, nutrient pollution and the loss of floodplains and wetlands3. Moreover,
some researchers have worried that the water can be the cause of another world war.
To avoid the worst situation, we should rethink of our water usage starting from
now by using this new product, Every Water Counts. Main basic idea of this product is a
giving the Suitable Limitation of Water Consumption per day to individuals of users to
help to change our behavior or habit, while we use water. Because this digital water
container tells us how much water that we spent and remained for the day, we can think
about how we distribute the amount of water for the day to fit the limitation to reduce the
waste of water consumption. It is the great chance to reconsider about the importance of
our water and use water effectively and usefully for the future.
We all know that making a change in our life is very difficult, even though it is a
small thing, but we should change for the next generation. In that sense, this product will
be very helpful to change our bad habitat, because of the limitation but also cost saving
up. The container shows the amount of water usage with price together to see how much
we are spending while we are taking a shower, washing face, or brushing teeth.
Moreover, people, who really want to conserve water, might want to see how much they
actually reduce per day. Although they think they really reduce it, but actually they
won’t. So, this product is actually good for people who really want to conserve the water
but don't know the ways. The definite result on each action will help to give senses to
how they distribute the water usage to not waste water.
3
"Water Scarcity Issues: We're Running out of Water." FEW Resources.org. Accessed
December 4, 2014. http://www.fewresources.org/water-scarcity-issues-were-running-outof-water.html.
3
Furthermore, the direction of this digital water limitation container is very easy
and comfortable to use. After you set up this product in your home (can set up in only
restroom or kitchen or both), you should insert the number of family members, then the
squares will be appear according to numbers of family. Each family member should
decide the color of little square button on the right bottom of the product that they are
going to use. Then, scan your fingerprint on the top of the square box (one that you
decided) and input basic personal information, so each person can have own different
daily limitation of water container due to their conditions. For example, mother might use
more water to clean up and organize the house (dish wash, water plants, etc), so she can
get larger limitation than others. The fingerprint scanner is also helpful to avoid using
other family member’s water container. Each family member has different water
container on each square button, but you can also see the whole family’s usage on the
screen by clicking grey square box. The data includes how much you used and how much
is water left for today; how much you used each month with liner graph and each month’s
whole usage. In addition, you can also check the family’s whole usage by monthly and
daily.
To use water, scan your decided colored square button with fingerprint. Then,
your data of water usage will come out on the screen and water is now available to use. If
you are not scanning the fingerprint on the right button, the water won’t come out. Every
water that you use is counted and recorded on the machine. If it reaches your water
limitation, then the water won’t come out. This product is actually good for children’s
education to learn the importance of water. They can actually build their good habit early,
so they don't need to change their bad habits later on like us. If we build our good habits
4
on our home, we will conserve the water at outside also such as public restrooms or
elsewhere.
This new design product, itself, is very practical and sustainable; it is made out
with all recycled and recyclable products. The main material of this machine is made out
of recycled and recyclable plastics. We provide the benefit by making thinner plastic in
local to reduce and minimize the use and cost of plastic material. The product, made out
with non-toxic materials, is easily repaired and can be maintained in long term. Also, it
only uses small amount of LED light, which is very sustainable than other electricity;
needs less energy and lasts longer.
I found a similar product as mine from the new design of the toilet. This toilet has
two buttons for flushing. One is for pee and the other one is for excrement to use smaller
amount of water, while the toilet is flushing for pee to conserve the water. I think this
idea is very sustainable, because the toilet actually takes almost over half of water usage
in bathroom. Moreover, I got some campaigns that they work for the clean drinkable
water for African people, who suffer with diseases, even death by the dirty water. There
is a campaign called “The water project” that they tried to inform people why water is
important and how it affects the people and the world, but actually this campaign has
good stuffs to cover the lack of understanding about the water scarcity4. Their promotion
and advertisement should be more developed to inform more people in the world to make
people really work with water for our environment. However, not just telling and
informing the problem, giving the tips and solutions to save water that how people can
4
"Give Water - The Water Project." The Water Project. Accessed December 4, 2014.
http://thewaterproject.org/.
5
actually help out are needed. So, my product will be very helpful to actually help to save
water out from the wasting.
New sustainable design is very effective to people who really know about this
problem and want to change it together for the world. This product is more sustainable
than other options, because it actually tells and reminds people that we should only use
the given amount of water per day. This product is targeted people not only in some
regions that already having little problem of getting clean water like CA or Seoul, but
also in regions that have no problems with water scarcity yet to help to get out of the
water scarcity problem for the global, because it will actually affect the whole world.
Also, the water price is rapidly increasing by year; they will need to this product to save
water to save money, soon5. While using this product, people will care more about use of
water and regard it very valuably. It doesn’t cost much to set on the bathroom, but it
effectively helps out to make the world green by just using this new product. Saving
water can make a huge difference for our sustainable life and those who struggle for the
clean water. The water is very huge and sensitive matter to humans, so I hope everyone
takes this problem seriously and tried to use less water with this container for our next
generation. The water can improve health, increase access to food, grow local economies,
and help Kids in education. Let’s be sustainable for the world6.
5
"FAO Water Unit | Water News: Water Scarcity." FAO Water Unit | Water News:
Water Scarcity. Accessed December 4, 2014.
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/issues/scarcity.html.
6 "Scarcity, Decade, Water for Life, 2015, UN-Water, United Nations, MDG, Water,
Sanitation, Financing, Gender, IWRM, Human Right, Transboundary, Cities, Quality,
Food Security." UN News Center. Accessed November 13, 2014.
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml
6
Bibliography
"Clean Water Crisis, Water Crisis Facts, Water Crisis Resources - National
Geographic." National Geographic. Accessed December 4, 2014.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis/
"FAO Water Unit | Water News: Water Scarcity." FAO Water Unit | Water News:
Water Scarcity. Accessed December 4, 2014.
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/issues/scarcity.html.
"Give Water - The Water Project." The Water Project. Accessed December 4,
2014. http://thewaterproject.org/.
"Global Water Shortage: Water Scarcity & The Importance of Water." The Water
Project. Accessed November 13, 2014. http://thewaterproject.org/water_scarcity
"How Much Water Do People Waste?" Premier Water Systems. Accessed
December 4, 2014. http://premierwatersystems.com/how-much-water-do-people-waste/
"Scarcity, Decade, Water for Life, 2015, UN-Water, United Nations, MDG,
Water, Sanitation, Financing, Gender, IWRM, Human Right, Transboundary, Cities,
Quality, Food Security." UN News Center. Accessed November 13, 2014.
http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml
"Ten Facts About the Water We Waste - Chelsea Green." Chelsea Green Full.
July 29, 2008. Accessed December 4, 2014. http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/tenfacts-about-the-water-we-waste/.
"The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers." The Association of
Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers. Accessed November 13, 2014.
http://www.plasticsrecycling.org/
"Water & Sanitation." UNICEF USA. Accessed November 13, 2014.
http://www.unicefusa.org/mission/survival/water
"Water Scarcity Issues: We're Running out of Water." FEW Resources.org.
Accessed December 4, 2014. http://www.fewresources.org/water-scarcity-issues-wererunning-out-of-water.html.