November 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz:
Q. How much water does it take to produce a Thanksgiving meal for a family of 8?
A. Producing one pound of turkey requires over 500 gallons of water, and 204 million pounds of turkey are wasted on Thanksgiving in the US, leading to the waste of nearly 105 billion gallons of water. Additionally, a full Thanksgiving meal for eight people requires about 48,000 to 50,000 gallons of water, and after dinner, 30 million Americans watching football will use about 108 million gallons of water flushing toilets at halftime
October 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Tommy Perkins
Q. How and where to wells get their water?
A. Deep water wells, such as used in Dare County Water Department Plant Operations, get their water from aquifers. Aquifers are layers of rock and soil with water flowing through their small pores. These underground formations hold and transmit water, serving as a natural reservoir that can be tapped for wells or springs. They are replenished by precipitation, a process called recharge.
September 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Craig Darby
Q. Why should you call 811 before you dig?
A. In North Carolina calling 811 is legally required before you dig. Calling 811 creates a ticket to have professional locators mark the approximate locations of underground utility lines for free. This is to prevent you from accidentally hitting a utility line which prevents injuries, property damage and utility outages.
August 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Marina Carranza
Q. Why should you fill your bathtub with water during a hurricane?
A. Filling a bathtub with water before a hurricane provides a backup water supply in case the regular water supply is disrupted due to power outages or broken water mains. This stored water can be used for flushing toilets, washing hands, and other essential tasks. It's a practical measure to ensure basic hygiene and sanitation during a storm when access to running water may be limited.
It's important to note that bathtub water should be used for non-potable purposes like flushing toilets and washing, not for drinking. Having a separate supply of drinking water is also crucial.
Click here to view additional hurricane preparation tips.
July 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Autumn Price
Q. Can humans drink salt water, like ocean water? Why or why not?
A: When humans drink salt water such as ocean water, their cells are thus taking in water and salt. While humans can safely ingest small amounts of salt, the salt content in seawater is much higher than what can be processed by the human body. Additionally, when we consume salt as part of our daily diets, we also drink liquids, which help to dilute the salt and keep it at a healthy level. Living cells do depend on sodium chloride (salt) to maintain the body’s chemical balances and reactions; however, too much sodium can be deadly.
Human kidneys can only make urine that is less salty than salt water. Therefore, to get rid of all the excess salt taken in by drinking seawater, you have to urinate more water than you drank. Eventually, you die of dehydration even as you become thirstier.
June 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:Dave Strickland
Q. What season has the highest water consumption percentage? Name one activity that uses water during this season.
A: During the summer season water consumption increases between 30-50 percent. Due to higher temperatures people and pets consume more water. Summertime is also when people irrigate their lawns, fill their swimming pools and participate in outdoor activities.
Tips:
- Check your outdoor fixtures for leaks.
- When filling your swimming pool make sure to set a timer to remind you to turn the hose off. A forgotten hose in a pool can create a high water bill.
- Check your irrigation system.
- Track your usage with our new DropCountr app!
May 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz:
Q. How much water does the average irrigation system use?
A. The average irrigation system uses between 2 to 5 gallons of water per minute per sprinkler head. If you have three heads in each zone you are using between 6 to 15 gallons of water per minute. If you have two zones you are using between 12 to 30 gallons per minute. If your run cycle is 20 minutes you are using between 240 to 600 gallons per cycle. If you run two cycles per week you are using between 480 to 1200 gallons per week which is between 1920 to 4800 gallons of water per month.
Tips:
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Check to make sure sprinklers are properly adjusted to cover the intended area and not hard surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks.
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Regularly check for leaks and broken heads.
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Regularly check to make sure your system and timer are working and set properly.
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Track your usage with our new DropCountr app.
April 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Suzi Reeves
Q. Why do tree roots puncture water lines?
A. When a tree is not getting enough water or moisture it will naturally grow in the direction of water. When water lines or water pipes have cracks or leaks they release moisture into the surrounding soil, which acts as a magnet for tree roots.
Tips from Rootie:
- Keep trees and plants well watered.
- Plant away from water lines, water lines or septic tanks to prevent roots searching for water and causing greater damage.
- Use a pipe liner.
- Use a root barrier.
- Repair leaks promptly.
March 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Marty Verdery
Q. Why are some hydrants different colors?
A. Generally color coding hydrants to indicate their water flow capacity helps the fire department select the most productive hydrants for fighting a fire. Another reason for color coding hydrants might be based on the size of the water main they feed from.
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Blue: High flow rate (over 1500 GPM)
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Green: Moderate flow rate (1000-1499 GPM)
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Orange: Medium flow rate (500-999 GPM)
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Red: Low flow rate (less than 500 GPM)
February 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Brad Cahill
Q. How many facilities does the Dare County Water Department operate to provide drinking water? What treatment processes do these facilities use?
A. Dare County operates five facilities:
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Cape Hatteras Water Plant uses Reverse Osmosis & Anion Exchange/Filtration
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Joesph “Mac” Midgett Water Plant uses Reverse Osmosis
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Stumpy Point Water Plant uses Reverse Osmosis
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North Reverse Osmosis Water Plant uses Reverse Osmosis
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Skyco Water Plant uses Reverse Osmosis & Nanofiltration
January 2025 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Yana Jacobs
Q&A: Of all of earth’s water:
What percentage is ocean or seas? 97% is ocean or seas and salty
What percentage is frozen? 2% is frozen and unusable
What percentage is suitable for drinking water? Only 1% is suitable for drinking
December 2024 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Steve Winter
Q. "What causes pipes to freeze?"
A. Pipes freeze when the temperature around them drops below a certain temperature. Pipes that freeze are cooled from the outside in. Since water expands when it freezes it increases in volume from its liquid state. The increase in volume is the main cause of a burst water pipe. As the temperatures drop below freezing, the water starts to freeze from the outside in, expands in size and creates a build up along the pipes, increasing the pressure on the liquid water remaining in the pipe. Because water is difficult to compress the pipe will burst if there is no other means for relieving the increased pressure.
Here are some ways to prevent pipes from freezing:
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Insulate pipes: Use foam rubber or fiberglass sleeves to wrap pipes in unheated areas.
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Let water drip: Running water, even at a trickle, can help prevent pipes from freezing. This is because it relieves pressure that builds up between the faucet and the ice blockage.
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Drain outdoor pipes: Disconnect and drain garden hoses and outdoor faucets before winter.
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Adjust the thermostat: Set your thermostat to be above 55°F during cold weather.
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Open cabinet doors: Opening cabinet doors can help warm pipes.
Older pipes, exposed pipes, and uninsulated pipes are more likely to burst during extended cold spells.
November 2024 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Laura Strickland
Q. "What indoor household activity uses, on average, the most water per day?"
A. Toilets, on average, use the most water per day. Toilets account for around 30% of total indoor water consumption and most toilets use 4-6 gallons of water per flush. In the United States the current federal standard in new toilets requires 1.6 gallons of water or less per flush.
Check your toilets now using our troubleshooting guides:
General Toilet Information
Toilet Flapper Troubleshooting
Overnight Toilet Troubleshooting
Home activities that use the most water:
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Toilet – 33 gallons per day
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Shower – 10 minutes uses around 25 gallons
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Faucet – 27 gallons per day
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Hand washing dishes – about 15 gallons per every five minutes the faucet runs
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Washing machine – 22 gallons per day
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Dishwasher – 3 to 4 gallons per day
October 2024 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Answer:
Q. "How many water towers are there in Dare County?"
A. Dare County is home to 15 water towers spanning its 110 miles of shoreline. Dare County owns 11 of these water towers. In addition to the Dare County towers, the Town of Kill Devil Hills owns two towers and the two towers are owned by the Town of Nags Head.
Dare County owned Water Towers:
- Duck
- Southern Shores
- Colington
- Roanoke Island
- Skyco
- Stumpy Point
- RWS
- Avon
- Buxton 1
- Buxton 2
- Cape Hatteras
Update your contact information here for a chance to win a Dare County sweatshirt!
September 2024 Professor Faucet Pop Quiz Winner:
Arn Hillman
Q. "What is corrosion?"
A. Corrosion is the gradual decomposition or destruction of a material by chemical action, often due to an electrochemical reaction. Corrosion may be caused by stray current electrolysis, galvanic corrosion caused by dissimilar metals, or differential-concentration cells. Corrosion starts at the surface of a material and moves inward.
In terms of water, essentially, the water slowly eats away at a metal surface causing damage over time.
Corrosivity is an indication of the corrosiveness of a water. The corrosiveness of a water is described by the water’s pH, alkalinity, hardness, temperature, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen concentration, and the Langelier Index.
Dare County Water Department uses corrosion inhibitors to slow the rate of corrosion. Professor Faucet uses his surfboard turned tool kit to fight Corrosion.
