Office of Water (4606M) • EPA 816-K-04-002 • 06/2004 • www.epa.gov/safewater
Hello, my name is Thirstin. I am here

to talk about protecting and conserving

DRINKING WATER. 

Follow me and I’ll show you some fun facts

and activities about water.
Water comes in three different forms:

LIQUID

SOLID

GAS
Water can get dirty, so before we can

drink it, it must be clean. Water is

cleaned at a Treatment Plant and then

sent to our homes through pipes.

Lake

Coagulation: Dirty water has many particles floating around in it. Alum and other chemicals are added

to the water to form floc that is sticky and attracts the dirt into larger clumps. When they get heavy, they

sink to the bottom during sedimentation.

Sedimentation:

The heavy 

particles settle to

the bottom and

the clear water at

the top moves on

to filtration.

Disinfection: A small amount of chlorine is added

to kill any bacteria or tiny organisms that may be in

the water.

Storage: Water

is stored in a

closed tank

(tower) or 

reservoir so the 

disinfection can

take place. It then

goes through

pipes and into

your home or

school.

Filtration: The water

goes through filters,

often made of sand,

gravel and charcoal

that will catch even

smaller particles that

float in the water.
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Find and circle these words:

STREAM

FILTER

PIPES

SAFE

WATER

WELL

TREATMENT

TANK

POLLUTION

LAKE
Unscramble the letters:

A W T R E

K D I R N

V P A O R

R V I E R

E L A K

C I E

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.
Help the water find its way from the lake

to your faucet by following the correct

path through the pipes.

start here!

water

treatment

plant
Drinking water comes from lakes, rivers,

streams, or under the ground (ground water).

LAKE

WELL

AQUIFER

RIVER Water

is stored underground

between rocks, sand, and

clay in an aquifer!
Complete the crossword puzzle to test your

knowledge of water.

ACROSS

1. Always _______ your 

hands before dinner.

3. Add this to water to make 

it cold.

5. Big body of water.

7. If you have a leaky 

faucet, get it _______.

DOWN

2. People go to the beach 

to _______.

4. Snake-like fish.

6. Water travels through 

these.

8. When you boil water, 

_____ rises out of the 

pan.
Because we need water to live, it is 

important to conserve as much water as we can.

You can help by:

telling an adult when

you see a leak.

turning off the water when you’re not using

it, and . . .

WATER ON WATER OFF
WATER TRIVIA!

Fun Facts About Water . . .

1. How much water does it take to cook a Hamburger?

Approximately one gallon.

2. How long can a person live without food?

More than a month.

3. How long can a person live without water?

Approximately one week, depending upon conditions.

4. How much water is used to flush a toilet?

2-7 gallons.

5. How much water is used to brush your teeth?

2 gallons.

6. How much water does an individual use daily?

50 gallons.

7. How much of a chicken is water?

75%

8. How much of a 

pineapple is water?

80%

9. How much of an 

elephant is water?

70%

10. How much of an ear 

of corn is water?

80%
REMEMBER!

Your help is needed to

keep drinking water

clean!

Keep rivers, lakes and

streams free of trash!

Never allow oil or

gasoline to be

poured on the ground!

Make a list below of other things 

you can do to help:
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND

ACTIVITIES, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT:

www.epa.gov/safewater

Click on Kid’s Stuff and submit

an art project!

Good Bye!!!
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Word Search Game

Word Scramble Game

1. WATER

2. DRINK

3. ICE

4. VAPOR

5. RIVER

6. LAKE

Crosswords Game

ACROSS 

1. WASH

3. ICE

5. LAKE

7. FIXED 

DOWN 

2. SWIM

4. EEL

6. PIPES

8. STEAM

GAME ANSWERS