NEWBURYPORT — More than 140 fifth-graders on Thursday got a crash course on just what goes into cleaning and delivering water (and just where it goes when someone flushes the toilet) to everyone’s home during a field trip to some of the city’s water facilities, according to school officials.
“The next time I drink some water, I’ll know how much work they put into this,” fifth-grader Elliott Maikels said, when interviewed the following day.
The city’s Resiliency Committee recently awarded the Edward G. Molin Upper Elementary School a $2,500 grant to tour the city’s Spring Lane water treatment plant, the wastewater treatment plant on Water Street, as well as West Newbury’s Maple Crest Farm to visit the Indian Hill Reservoir.
The city draws its water from the Indian Hill Reservoir, along with the Upper Artichoke and Lower Artichoke reservoirs. In April, city officials hosted a field trip for adults to the Lower Artichoke Reservoir Dam in their continuing efforts to provide as much context as possible as to why the city will need to spend millions of dollars to upgrade and protect its waterworks.
Last week, students boarded three school buses and began their field trip at the Spring Lane water treatment plant where superintendent Tom Cusick gave the kids a tour.
“They learned how the water comes out of the reservoir and gets treated and ends up coming out of the faucet,” science, technology, engineering and mathematics teacher Kristen Daigle said. “Tom also told the kids about the old clipper ships that used to go down the Merrimack River and there was a spring on Spring Street. They could get off the ships and load up fresh drinking water and bring it back.”
The students then got a tour of the wastewater treatment facility from Sewer Division Chief Operator Christopher Pratt, who Daigle said managed to hold their interest very well.
“He explained things very scientifically and the kids were really interested in the engineering and science behind it all,” she said.
Daigle said Thursday’s field trip was the brainchild of fellow fifth-grade teacher Kathy Volpone, who wanted to incorporate placed-based learning into her science curriculum by going to many of the different locations involved in the city’s water supply.
“This all happened seamlessly and Kathy’s dream came true,” Daigle said.
Elliott Maikels said he found the wastewater treatment plant very interesting.
“They told us they sometimes find towels, bed sheets and wood in with the wastewater, during the screening process,” he said.
Students also had lunch at Maple Crest Farm where owner John Elwell gave them a tour.
“He told them farmers have to be very cognizant of things like manure on the farm, since it can’t enter the drinking water and contaminate it,” Daigle said.
Maikels’ sister, Macey said the field trip made her aware of just how important conservation can be.
“You have to save this water for a long time,” she said, also the day after the tour. “If everyone keeps taking long showers, that waste so much water. So taking shorter showers helps preserves the water better. Even though they can clean it, it takes a lot of work.”
Interviewed the next day, Ethan Thalman said he also enjoyed the field trip.
“It was really fun,” he said. “I learned about the chlorine contact chamber (at the water treatment plant), where they pump chlorine in to clean the water. But then they have to kill the chlorine, so it doesn’t go back to the river and kill the fish.”
The students also went to the Gloria Braunhardt bike path that parallels Interstate 95 to see how runoff from the highway can affect the water supply.
At-Large City Councilor and Resiliency Committee member Connie Preston, who helped kids with their work during the field trip, thanked Daigle, Maple Crest Farm and city staff for making the day possible.
“It was a wonderful day working with the next generation of Newburyporters to ensure that they understand the importance of the resiliency of our water and sewer infrastructure,” she said, on Friday.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.