After figuring out where the pipes lead to (the sewer), we wanted to figure out naturally where the sewers led to. With some maps and diagrams, we discovered that the sewer water leads to this building called a wastewater treatment facility. We're not quite sure where the other path takes us, but we have some ideas: the ocean, another building, a river, a lake, or it may even continue on in the sewer forever.
Looking at some real maps provided by the US EPA, we began trying to find where our own water is cleaned, since we had a TON of questions about that. By typing in our school's address and using a legend to find major wastewater treatment facilities, we saw this:
Looking at some real maps provided by the US EPA, we began trying to find where our own water is cleaned, since we had a TON of questions about that. By typing in our school's address and using a legend to find major wastewater treatment facilities, we saw this:
We've got a whole bunch of questions about what goes on there, especially since it seems to be located near a body of water (in our case here in Chicago, the Chicago River, and not Lake Michigan like many of us thought). We see these giant pools of what looks like water from high up above.
We really want to go there, but 5th graders aren't old enough, but Mrs. Brinza found some neat videos of places that seem to look like this place and they treat, or take care of dirty water. We're wondering how maybe we could figure out what they do in those places to clean the dirty water since we can't go in ourselves!
We really want to go there, but 5th graders aren't old enough, but Mrs. Brinza found some neat videos of places that seem to look like this place and they treat, or take care of dirty water. We're wondering how maybe we could figure out what they do in those places to clean the dirty water since we can't go in ourselves!