June 28, 2016
Students from Salem High School recently visited a wastewater treatment facility in Pennsylvania to learn about the processes by which wastewater – from household or business sinks, toilets, showers, dishwashers, etc. – is treated before being returned to the natural environment. The field trip combined aspects of biology and chemistry with public policy, giving students a deeper understanding of how science is linked to infrastructure and our quality of life.
“The water treatment plant made me realize how much work is put into cleaning our waters,” said one student.
“The water plant was very educational,” said another student. “There were some things I learned about water, like water could be reused and when water is cleaned thoroughly, it can be sent out to a lake or creek. They also ran many tests on the water to see if it is good or needs to be cleaned again. There are many fish found by the lake that they put the clean water back in, like bass and trout.”
The visit to the wastewater treatment facility was made possible with a grant from Field Trip New Jersey, an endowment launched by the Community Foundation of New Jersey and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to take students into new places that have the power to awaken, hush, awe, enrich, or otherwise positively change their lives.
To learn more about Field Trip New Jersey, please visit www.fieldtripnj.org or email info@fieldtripnj.org. To donate toward future field trips, please click below.
