Providing clean, drinkable and reliable water for the City of Philadelphia involves a system of pumps, pipes and filters that convey water to people. This is one part of what we call the Urban Water Use Cycle (from river to treatment to home to drain to treatment and back to the river).

Discover where our drinking water in Philadelphia comes from and where it goes after we use it. We see water flowing from our faucets, filling our flushable toilets and tubs, and sprinkling from outdoor spigots and hoses. Students will also learn about the hidden infrastructure system of underground pipes, pumps, filters and more.

• Give students the opportunity to think about where their drinking water comes from and how this all fits together with the previous exploration of water as a renewable resource by watching the video Green City Clean Waters.
• Use the graphic of the Urban Water Use Cycle and the Water Use Cycle Activity Sheet to help students figure out how the water gets to the school’s hydration station.
• Students create a story map that shows the route water takes to get to the school hydration station. See if they can also figure out where it goes after they use it!