Winterfold’s Year 5 pupils learn about water treatment and conservation

Year 5 pupils from Winterfold Prep visited Hayden Water Treatment Works’ Education Centre near Cheltenham on Thursday 5th October.

The day began in the ‘water classroom’, with an informative and interesting presentation by Severn Trent’s guide on the enormous importance of water to our planet and focussing on the need to conserve and not waste this precious resource. The water we use today has been around since life began on Earth. He also explained how ‘dirty water’, our waste water, is cleaned at the plant. This included learning what should not go down the sink or the loo!

The children then followed the ‘water trail’ around the works, following the process of cleaning waste water from when it arrives at the site, to when it leaves as effluent to go into the river system and then to re-enter the water cycle. The process takes less than 24 hours. It was a real eye-opener – and one of the biggest problems it seems is the wet wipe that jams the machines.

It was an excellent and informative day, and one that will very much consolidate the work that Year 5 are covering on their ‘water’ topic in the classroom.

Please do help and support your children in their efforts to conserve and save water at home.  You may like to visit www.stwater.co.uk/savewater.  It provides free products to help us use water wisely, such as a shower timer.