Summer SAVY 2017, Session 6/Day 4- Environmental Hydrology (Rising 2nd/3rd)

Posted by morganr1 on Thursday, July 27, 2017 in SAVY.

Hydrology Day 4: How is water treated? After a brief introduction to drinking water treatment, the students had a chance to observe the flocculation process with Harpeth River water. Throughout class we could watch the water slowly become clearer and clearer as the alum clumped the particles together. We also explored the filtration process by building small filters out of gravel, sand, and cotton.

The majority of class was spent at three different lab stations. In the first station, students learned about groundwater and the vast freshwater resource stored in aquifers. Students built their own aquifers and attempted to extract the resource with a makeshift well. The second station was hosted by a Vanderbilt Environmental Engineering graduate student, who discussed water infrastructure and how drinking water disasters can occur, like in Flint, Michigan (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUSiLOwkrIw). At the last station, each student read different popular science articles about water and then taught the group about what they learned from their reading.

Throughout our class we have discussed how water moves, how water is stored, how water is polluted, how water is treated, and tomorrow, we will make sure we all understand how everything is connected. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and I all the parents can join us as well.

Ms. Chelsea Peters