Sophie Conlon
STUDENTS at Mount Gambier High School, St Martin’s Lutheran College and Suttontown Primary School learned all about water and wastewater management as part of an interactive program led by SA Water.
The educational program, The Well, toured the South East, stopping Mundulla, Mount Gambier/Berrin and Robe to teach students how water is delivered from source to tap and what happens after it is flushed down the toilet.
SA Water acting senior manager of brand, communications and media Kellie McDonald said it was important everyone understood the value of water and the role they play in protecting the essential service.
“The feedback we get from students taking part in our on-site and in-school activities is they love discovering the fascinating process of water treatment, and they always ask some great questions, such as ‘How can water be recycled?’,” she said.
“Using props and interactive discussion, we took students on the journey of water, providing a more technical look at water treatment, and encouraging students to think about their own responsible water use.”
Ms McDonald said students learned drinking water provided by SA Water was most commonly groundwater, water from the River Murray, or a combination of both.
“We aim to teach students to appreciate the enormous amount of work that goes into making sure this safe, clean water is available when they turn on the tap and the environmental benefits of reusing treated
wastewater, which in South Australia is recycled for uses from toilet flushing to irrigating green open spaces,” she said.
“Our education sessions are a fun way for students and teachers to discover valuable insights into water and wastewater processes, sustainability practices and how we deliver services every day to more than 1.7 million South Australians.”
