Student tours making a splash

Hundreds of local students have been tapping in to knowledge about Eurobodalla’s water cycle and what goes on behind the scenes.

Council regularly conducts tours of its water and sewage treatment plants to school groups and community members who are interested in learning where their water comes from and where it ends up after use.

Council’s Sustainability Education Officer Gillian Kearney said sustainability was a strong theme in all tours.

“The tours are for anyone, regardless of their age, to get a full appreciation of how lucky we are to have safe, accessible drinking water and to see firsthand what’s involved with all the processes behind turning on a tap or flushing a toilet,” she said.

“Water is our most precious resource, but people tend not to see it as rare or endangered because it’s always available – that’s in part thanks to the hard work of Council’s water and sewer teams who keep it safe and flowing behind the scenes.”

Tours can include a visit to Deep Creek Dam to see where Eurobodalla’s water is stored, the state-of-the-art northern water treatment plant to see how it is cleaned and tested daily before being sent down the line to kitchen taps around the shire, and it’s final destination at the sewage treatment plant.

“People are often surprised that the smell isn’t offensive at the sewage treatment plant – and that what comes into the plant is mostly liquid,” Ms Kearney said.

“The toilet is just one of many sources of sewage water, as well as from the kitchen, shower, laundry - any water used in the house that goes down a drain.”

Ms Kearney encouraged all schools and all levels to get involved - from year one to HSC chemistry classes.

“We tailor the tours to the different groups and the primary school tours are mapped to the NSW curriculum outcomes,” she said.

“We also hold tours for the general public in National Water Week, which is held in October.”

For more information on tours contact Council’s Sustainability Education Officer on 4474 1000. For detailed information on Eurobodalla’s water and sewer processes visit the water and sewer page.