Value of Water
Engineering Field Day
Download the activity guide here
Where does water come from?
In Hawaii, most of our water is pumped from the underground water table or stored in mountains.
Where does your water come from?
Visit the Board of Water Supply website to find out
https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/water-quality/water-quality-report
https://watersworthit.org/
Our lives and communities are built on clean water and the infrastructure that supports it. It’s so reliable that we might not give it—or the impact of our actions—a second thought.
https://watersworthit.org/
We all consume water and create waste every day. Making smart choices helps us sustainably reuse water to protect the environment and the systems that keep it flowing.
https://watersworthit.org/
Water professionals around the world work every day to recover resources and provide clean water to protect our health, environment, economy, and quality of life.
https://watersworthit.org/
Water and wastewater treatment has saved millions of people all but eliminating waterborne diseases and advancing the health of our communities.
https://watersworthit.org/
Water must be recovered, recycled, and returned to the environment. Supporting innovative solutions and technology helps us transform operations for greater efficiency, productivity, and long-term sustainability.
What are some ways that water can get contaminated?
Storm water can pick up trash from cities, chemicals from factories, motor oil from roads, fertilizers and animal waste from pets.
Wastewater contains human waste, soaps, and chemicals we wash down the drain or toilet.
Why is it important to clean water before returning it to the environment?
Cleaning wastewater before it is released into the environment helps keep the oceans and rivers clean. This helps keep wildlife and the environment healthy.
Let’s learn how engineers make water safe to return to the environment!
Gather Materials:
The problem or challenge
How do environmental engineers remove contaminants from water before it goes to the ocean?
The hypothesis (or prediction)
What do you think will happen?
How can we tell if water is clean?
Visual?
Smell?
Touch?
Step 1 - Screening
Bar Screen
Which “contaminants” do you think will be caught
by the filter?
Let’s find out!
Step 1 - Screening
Discuss your observations of the screening process
Wastewater Treatment Plant Screen
What will happen if we let the water sit still?
Step 2 - Settling
Settling is a slow process, so engineers design LARGE tanks called clarifiers to give particles enough time to settle
Discuss your observations of the settling process
Which particles settle?
Are they smaller or larger? Why do you think that happens?
Step 3
Aeration Tank
We add air to the wastewater - called aeration. The air allows microbes to feed on organic material, forming bigger particles which easily settle out.
Step 4 - Filtration
Filter
Do you think the water will be clean after we filter it?
Let’s find out!
Step 4 - Filtration
Discuss your observations of the filtration process
How long is it taking to filter?
Is it faster or slower than the screen? Why do you think that happens?
Wastewater Treatment Plant Filter
Unfiltered Water
Filtered Water
Filter
Wastewater Treatment Plant Filter (Clean side)
Is the water clean now?
Screening, settling, and filtration remove sediment.
But how do we remove the bacteria you can’t see?
Two types of disinfection
Two types of disinfection
Chlorination uses a type of bleach. A stronger version of what you use to clean your house. But chemicals can be dangerous to work with.
Ultraviolet (UV) is a type of light. There’s even UV disinfection boxes to inactivate germs growing on the surface of your phone!
Step 5
Aha! �My discoveries
What did you learn after testing?
Engineers keep people and the environment healthy.
Conclusion
How do environmental engineers remove contaminants from water before it goes to the ocean?
Engineers protect the environment by designing treatment systems with multiple steps to remove contaminants.
How can we conserve �(protect and save) clean water for future use?
What can engineers design to help conserve our water?