Lesson 9: Using Technology to Solve Water Pollution Problems: Designing a Water Treatment Plant
Students learn how drinking water is treated. Students discuss the presentation and answer questions. Working in small groups, students compete to design a chlorination chamber for a drinking water treatment plant. A chlorination chamber must retain water long enough to kill a high percentage of the microorganisms. Baffles (walls) are placed in the chlorination chamber to slow the flow of the water through the chamber. Slowing the flow increases control of microbes, but adding walls increases the cost of the chamber. The group that designs the cheapest chamber with microbial control > 99% is the winner and is rewarded with a small prize.
3.06, 3.07, 3.08
Two to three 50 minute class periods depending on how quickly design information is entered into the computer. Some time outside of class may be needed by instructor to enter student designs into software if students do not have access to computers during this activity.
- Multimedia data projector
- access to Dr. DuCoste's Powerpoint Presentation and design software
- prizes for winning groups
- one computer per group if possible
- (otherwise students can design their chlorination chambers on paper and the instructor can enter their designs into the computer)
- color computer printer
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