Activity 1.4 - Waterworks and production of drinking water

Learning Aims:
  • Students will explain the operation and importance of waterworks for the life of man.
  • They will find out how the waterworks operates, which tasks are performed by the employees and what qualification they should have.
  • They characterise the individual steps of waterworks operation.
  • Students describe the individual phases of water purification, from pumping of water from the source, through its consumption, to its return to the nature.
Materials:
  • Worksheet
Suggestions for use:

Task 1:

A list of structures for water treatment in the Czech Republic can be found at http://eagri.cz/public/web/file/130548/VUME_2_UV_2010.pdf. (It is also possible to find out a similar website in the respective mother tongue). Students will get information about when the excursion to waterworks will take place. Each student will prepare at least one question for the waterworks guide. Questions should relate to water pumping, both mechanical and chemical purification of water, history and problems of supply, etc.

Task 2:

Students work out the task in the worksheet. They know the answers from the excursion or they will find them out in the Internet.

Phases:

A – monitoring of water quality in the watercourse

B – watermeter

C – treated water back to the nature

D – supply

E – waste water

F – pumping of water

G – purification of waste water

H – waste water in the household

I – storage of drinking water

J – production of drinking water

K – drinking water in the household

L – inspection and chlorination

Source: http://www.pvk.cz/

Key: 1 - A, 2 - F, 3 - J, 4 - L, 5 - I, 6 - D, 7- B, 8 - K, 9 - H, 10 - E, 11 - G, 12 - C.
Possible questions:
    • Students formulate their own questions. A large amount of questions arise through this activity.