Why Sewer Science in Fairfax County? - Virginia Water Environment ...

The Rewards of Sewer Science for
High School Students in
Fairfax County, VA.
1

Sewer Science
(Grades 9-12)
What is Sewer Science?
Sewer Science is an award-winning, hands-on laboratory
program that teaches high school students in Fairfax
County about municipal wastewater treatment through a
week-long laboratory program that simulates the
wastewater treatment processes. Fairfax County runs the
program over the course of 2 – 90 minute block classes for
each class that participates in the program
2

History of Sewer Science
‣ Curriculum began in 1997 through collaboration between
the City of Palo Alto’s Wastewater Management, San
Jose State University and Menlo-Atherton High School
‣ Created an educational program about the wastewater
treatment process and reinforced pollution prevention
messages
‣ Developed specifically to meet the needs of grades 9
through 12
3

Expansion within CA
‣ The program was piloted in
the City of Palo Alto school
system
‣ It was so successful that 19
additional school systems
initiated the program in CA
‣ Since 1997, 19 school districts
in CA, New Orleans, Fairfax
County VA, Washington D.C.
and Dallas Texas have adopt
the program
‣ Estimated over 500,000
students have participated in
the program
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Program travels with WEF
‣ In early 2005, Fairfax County Wastewater
Management adopts the Program
Fairfax County
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Why Sewer Science in Fairfax County?
The key benefits of the curriculum for teachers are:
‣ Meets the needs to cover a topic that they may have limited
knowledge of
‣ Hands-on lab with real world experiences
‣ Meets the curriculum requirements for 9 -12 grades
‣ Runs in accordance with the VA Standards of Leaning (SOL)
‣ Students link science and technology to social impacts
‣ Reinforced pollution prevention messages
‣ Not all high school students attend college and this program
presents a unique opportunity to present the wide variety of
careers that are available in the wastewater industry
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Why Sewer Science in Fairfax County?
The key benefits of the curriculum for Fairfax County:
‣ Allows us to educated our youth by introducing a topic
that we have knowledge of
‣ It is a good fit, we have experts in this area who can
have the opportunity to educate our youth with real world
applications
‣ Allows us to reinforced water pollution prevention
messages and environmental impacts from household
chemicals
‣ A unique opportunity to present the wide variety of
careers that are available tin the wastewater industry
‣ Meets our goals of environmental stewardship
7

Virginia Standards of Learning
(meets the requirements)
‣ Ensured program met the
Standards of Learning for
the state of Virginia
‣ Virginia and Chesapeake
Bay issues included
8

October 2005 WEF Conference in
Washington D.C.
Teacher Workshop
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Introduced in Fairfax County High Schools
In November 2005
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Wastewater Coordinates the Program
in Fairfax County
‣ Sewer Science lab is facilitated by wastewater personnel.
All volunteers (mentors) are from various backgrounds,
treatment plant operators, engineers, line maintenance,
biologists, chemists and office personnel. Students have
the opportunity to learn first-hand experience from
professionals in the wastewater field
‣ Each mentor is assigned to a school/teacher
‣ Mentors are responsible for assisting the teacher with the
program over the course of 2-90 minute block classes
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Team #__________
1.Dried used coffee grounds
Day 1
Make the Wastewater
page 13 (student workbook)
Recommended
amount (range)
5 to 8 grams
Amount used
(remember to write units)
What types of waste might
this represent in REAL
wastewater?
Review and discuss
2.Ground-up breakfast
cereal
3. Ground-up pet food
4. cut-up plastic
5. Baking Soda
6. Torn-up toilet paper
pieces
7. Ammonia
2 to 4 grams
2 to 4 grams
1 to 4 grams
3 to 4 grams
2 to 6 grams
5 to 10 ml
8. Vegetable oil
10 to 20 ml
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Simulating Wastewater Treatment
Day 1
page 13
Add materials to the
Sedimentation Tank
Primary Influent
13

Students perform Tests for Turbidity, pH,
Ammonia and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
14

Day 1
page 14
Primary Influent
Lab groups perform tests, record
and discuss results
Team Data Table for Primary Influent or Original Wastewater
Page 14
Date
and Time
pH
Ammonia
Turbidity
COD
Primary
Influent
7:45 am
7.5
995 mg/L
242 mg/L
6 mg/L
15

Allow Sedimentation
Tank to settle before
continuing with test 2,
page 16
Day 1
page 16
Primary Effluent
Lab groups perform tests, record
and discuss results
Page 16
Primary
Effluent
Team Data Table For Primary Effluent
Date
and Time
8:00 am
pH
7.5
Ammonia
545 mg/L
Turbidity
150 FAU
COD
6 mg/L
16

Primary Effluent
Day 1
page 17
Transfer wastewater from
Sedimentation Tank to
Aeration Tank and add
microorganisms
Secondary (Biological)
Treatment page 18
Something eats this stuff?!
(24 - 48 hrs eating time)
Nitrification occurs
17

Day 2
page 19
Secondary Sedimentation
allow micro’s s to settle before
transferring wastewater from
Aeration Tank into empty tank
Chemical Flocculation
add 75ml Aluminum Sulfate to
the tank and allow solids to
settle out.
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Day 2
page 20
Students Identify
Microorganisms and watch
Micro Video
19
Free swimming ciliate - Paramecium
Using the Micro Poster
Teacher Works With
students

Day 2
Chemical Flocculation
Completed
Test 3, page 24
Page 24
After biological
treatment
flocculation and
sedimentation
Lab groups perform the tests, record
results and discuss
Team Data Table for Secondary Effluent or after Biological
Treatment Flocculation and Sedimentation
Date and
Time
7:45 am
pH
7.5
Ammonia
0.5 mg/L
Turbidity
152 mg/L
COD
0.5 mg/L
20

Day 2
page 22
Advanced Treatment Filtration, Disinfection &
Dechlorination (review)
Final Results
and Conclusions
Test 4, page 25
Lab groups perform the tests, record
results and discuss
Team Data Table for Advanced Effluent (after filtration)
Page 25
Date
and Time
pH
Ammonia
Turbidity
COD
After
Filtration
8:45 am
7.0
0 mg/L
0 mg/L
0 mg/L
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Conclusion-Did we clean the water?
Page 26
Compare Your Treated Water to E.P.A. Requirements
Parameter
pH
Limit to Discharge the
Treatment Wastewater
into Marine Water or
Deep Water
Between 6.0 and 9.0
Limit to Discharge
Treatment Wastewater
into a Sensitive Bay or
River
Between 6.5 and 8.5
Value for
Your Treated
Water
Ammonia
Turbidity
No limit
No limit
3 mg/L
< 10 NTU (nephelometer)
< 20 FAU (colorimeter)
Chemical
Oxygen
Demand
(COD)
< 50 mg/L
< 40 mg/L
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Conclusion
page 27
Date and
Time
pH
Ammonia
Turbidity
COD
Page 14
Original
wastewater
7:45 am
7.5
995 mg/L
6mg/L
Page 16
After primary
sedimentation and
flotation
8:00 am
7.5
545 mg/L
150 FAU
6mg/L
Page 24
After biological
treatment and
secondary
sedimentation
8:15 am
7.5
152 mg/L
120 FAU
0 mg/L
Page 25
After Filtration
8:45 am
7.0
5mg/L
0 FAU
0 mg/L
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Teacher Conclusion
starting on page 28
‣ Complete graphs for ph, Ammonia, Turbidity and COD
‣ Lab Write-Up
‣ Extra Credit or Advanced Assignments page 36
‣ Hand out the example of a Wastewater quiz that teacher's give
during or after the Sewer Science Program
‣ There are approximately three questions on the final IB exam
for BIO and Environmental Science in Fairfax County
‣ Two questions on the S.O.L’s
Sometimes it is not easy to measure success but I
think that this is a good indicator that we are
making progress with our messages.
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Opportunity to Review Environmental Careers
page 34
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Review Environmental Messages
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Don't Flush Your Medications
DON’T FLUSH UNUSED MEDICINES Why? Because they can end up in
our rivers and streams. To help protect our environment, throw unused,
unwanted or expired over-the-counter and prescription medicines in the
trash. Don’t flush medicines — except when specifically instructed by the
label.
Participate
in a
DO THROW IN THE TRASH The
American Pharmacists Association
recommends steps for safely disposing
of pills and liquids. These steps will help
prevent their misuse or accidental
ingestion by children or pets.
OR
Review steps with students
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Sewer Science Workshop
at the Noman Cole Treatment Plant
Plant Tour
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New Partnerships formed
Stormwater Presentation
Includes:
‣ “Watershed and
Stormwater”
Insert Includes:
‣ The Water Cycle
‣ Stormwater
Management and
streams, what’s s the
connection?
‣ What can you do to
improve water
quality?
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Solid Waste Management
Promotes Student Awareness
‣ What can you do?
30

New Partnerships
Teacher Workshops
George Mason University
31

Water Quality Teacher Workshop
On-Shore Water Quality Testing
32

Dr. Kelso, GMU Lunch Time Speaker,
“ Ecology of Gunston Cove Over 20 Years”
33

Local High School Teacher Interns at Laboratory
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2010 Virginia Governor’s Environmental
Excellence Award for Outreach
Presenters were
DEQ Director
David K. Paylor
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Sewer Science
November 2005 to May 2011
Number of Schools = 22
Number of Teachers = 35
Number of Students =
Herndon
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Accolades from Participating
Teachers
‣ D. Buffington, South County High School:
‣ “The Sewer Science program provides a very clear,
organized approach to demonstrating the importance
of water quality”
‣ Sherry Singer, Stuart High School:
‣ “This is my 27 th year in Fairfax County as a biology
teacher. In my experience, it is rare when a group of
people go out of their way to help educate students.
In the past four years my students have greatly
benefited from the Sewer Science program.”
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Estimated Costs and Staff Time
‣ Build a kit
(w/ analytical equipment and 7 sets of treatment
tanks)$6,500-$8,000 $8,000 (one-time cost)
‣ Buy consumables (e.g., gloves, chemicals)$750-$1,000
$1,000
per 300 students
‣ Print student workbooks$450-$600 $600 per 300 students
‣ Staff time to facilitate in classroom 10 hours/class
http://www.calfog.org/cleanbay/sewerscience/hsduplicate.html
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Closing
Fairfax County Wastewater Management
commits itself to environmental stewardship.
The Sewer Science Program has given us the
opportunity to educate and invest in possible
future leaders that will embrace our
environment
Quality of Water = Quality of Life
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Contact Information
Judy Fincham
Sewer Science Coordinator
Fairfax County, VA
Wastewater Management
703-550
550-9740 #423
Judy.Fincham@fairfaxcounty.gov
THANKS!
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