Wastewater and Storm Water

Students will explore the urban water use cycle and how each part of the cycle is critical in the management of our urban water system.

Guiding Questions

• What are the essential parts of the urban water use cycle?
• What does it take for us to drink a glass of fresh, clean, delicious water, and prevent wastewater from polluting our streams?
• What makes this urban water use cycle a prime example of sustainability?

In a bustling city the size of Philadelphia with over a million people, it is a big task to manage our water system – clean, safe water to consume at the tap. Of equal importance is managing our wastewater and storm water – cleaning up what we flush or send down the drain (out of sight and out of mind) , and what  runs off our streets and rooftops down storm drains.

All of this is managed by a vast system of pipes, pumps, plants (both the green kind and the building facilities kind!) and is often hidden from view.   This system can be described as infrastructure –  the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

We call this continuous movement of water through our infrastructure the urban water use cycle – from the freshwater river intakes as the source to the freshwater river outfalls returned.

Engage

We have seen how water is taken from the river, treated to make it potable (usable as clean water) and distributed to our houses. We count on that water being available to us when we turn on the faucet. What happens to the water after we use it?

In addition to water flowing down the drains from our houses, we also see water flowing down our streets into sewers and storm drains.

Make a new foldable describing and illustrating the steps of the Wastewater Treatment process

Slide 4: Ask students their definition of storm water. Have them think about all of the paths water might travel: streets, building runoff, fields, etc. Have them think about what the water is “picking up” as it travels. Depending on where it is flowing this might include chemicals, trash, oil, etc.

Slide 5: What is wastewater? Have students brainstorm all of the sources of wastewater from their homes (and other places)

• Bathroom – toilets, sinks, tubs/showers
• Kitchens – sinks, dishwashers
• Buildings, Factories –

Students may also suggest trash that gets into the sewers or runoff of chemicals.

Explore and Explain

Slide 6: looking for evidence of waste water treatment

• Pipes and drains in buildings and houses
• Drains and sewers

Slide 7: Stormwater runoff

This side by side graphic shows the difference between stormwater draining through the soil or running off the land  in a natural environment and how it drains when  it falls on our rooftops and streets into our man-made drains and pipes (called infrastructure)

Slide 8: Storm water Management (CSO- Combined Sewer Overflow)

This diagram gets even more detailed about our stormwater drainage system– when water drains from our houses and runs off the streets into a combined pipe (now a mix of unsanitary wastewater and stormwater) that travels to our treatment facility to  be cleaned up.

Wastewater treatment – Pose the question – why not just send the untreated water back to the river? We want students to recognize the ecosystem that the river is part of and supports. We have a responsibility to keep the rivers clean as the water is used by every other living organism and living thing in the watershed.

Slide 9:  Stop for a moment and review where wastewater comes from. This is a transition slide to bridge into the need to treat (clean) the water before it is returned to the river.

Slide 10: The diagram shows the wastewater treatment plan. A link to a pdf copy can be shown and enlarged on the screen.

There is a link to a graphic organizer that students can use to both draw and write their description of each step as you review the treatment process.

Your students have now completed a model of PHILADELPHIA’S URBAN WATER USE CYCLE

Slide 11: Now that students understand the urban water use cycle, have them consider some of the challenges to this cycle.

Slide 12: Asks the students to think about what might we do to help keep our water clean.

Suggestions for creating PSA type media to educate others to how they might help to keep water treatment flowing.