Citizen Science Salon is a partnership between Discover and SciStarter.org.
Life on Earth needs water to survive. Yet, drinkable water is a rapidly dwindling resource. Out of all the water on our planet, only 2.5 percent is freshwater. And of that 2.5 percent, just 0.3 percent is readily accessible as surface water. According to FreshWaterWatch, by the year 2050, half of the world’s population will be living in regions impacted by water scarcity, meaning there won’t be enough water to sustain a growing population.
That’s why a citizen science project called Off the Roof started researching how roof rainwater run-off can be used as an alternative water source.