where the water comes from, where it goes

Last week we drove out to our city's water treatment plant and took a walking tour of the facility where they clean and purify our drinking water. The little kids liked seeing the water fall from one tank to the next but I had to carry Charlie since he kept trying to stand dangerously close to the edge of the tanks. The older children were grossed out by the grey foam created by the chemicals that attach to dirt particles, but liked the models of the sand, charcoal, and pebbles that help trap dirt.

Part two of our field trip was driving this morning to the city's wastewater treatment plant and getting to see how dirty and smelly the water becomes after it is used and flushed by the thousands of residents. It was a chilly morning, but with mittens and a hat on baby Timmy we walked outside for 45 minutes looking at tank after tank of murky mixes of sewage, water, and sludge. Charlie, our fearless adventurer yet again had to be carried to keep him from falling in. The water became cleaner and smelled better as we followed the water and finally we saw the clean effluent spill onto rocks in a stream bed headed for a local creek.

Both field trips helped us tie together the concept of the water cycle we have been studying in science, our conservation efforts during the drought, and a curiosity about where the water in the tap comes from and where it goes after it gurgles down the drain. The tours were easy to set up for just our family and I think the director and operators who walked us around liked the interest and enthusiasm of the children. If you need a fascinating, but slightly smelly science field trip call your local water department!