Lesson 2 - Drinking Water Quality:  Which Would YOU Drink?
Acknowledgement: Taken from "Living on the Land 2001"

Materials Needed: 

• 3 clear plastic cups

• 3 clear plastic water bottles

• Tap water

• Salt

• Yellow food coloring

• Clay, fine soil, or sediment

Steps To Follow: 

Prior to arriving at the class, assemble three clear plastic water bottles.  Put tap water with a few drops of yellow food coloring into one bottle.  The solution should have a distinct yellow color.  Put tap water with about two teaspoons of salt into another bottle.  The salt should fully dissolve and leave an apparently clear solution that tastes salty.  Into the third bottle, put tap water plus enough clay, soil, or sediment to make it cloudy. 

During class, pour some of each solution into a clear plastic cup.  Ask students which cup they would drink from.  If appropriate, have a volunteer taste the clear water (salty).  The instructor can then sip the yellow water.  Under NO circumstances should anyone drink the cloudy solution contaminated with soil! 

This demonstration shows that drinking water quality cannot be judged by the appearance of the water, and reinforces the concept that water must be tested to ensure that it is fit for consumption.

(top)