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Monday, July 20, 2009
Water Treatment Plant Tour - Monday July 20th
1. What is one thing you learned about water treatment that you did not know before?
2. How does water treatment impact the health of our society?
Prior to todays experience, I was unaware of the numerous steps that go into treating our city's water. The treatment plant is filled with many non-functioning historical machines. Standing on the bridge and over looking the Cumberland River was undoubtedly my favorite part. Having a complete water treatment system is a must for populated areas. Without proper filtration people who consume the water may be exposed to diseases and toxins. A successful method to purify our water is fundamental.
I suppose I knew, even before the tour of the plant, that it took several steps to get water purified enough to drink. But it was interesting to learn about, and actually get to see each stage of the process from the very beginning with simply separating out leaves and sticks from river water- to the end with adding chlorine to kill bacteria.
Going through the tour of the water treatment plants, both the clean water one and the sewage one made me appreciate so much more the easy access we all have to clean water. Really getting to see each of the steps and how they play out opened my eyes to the effort we put into water and really how much water we each use daily. It really made me aware of what I drink each day, brush my teeth with, wash dishes with, etc.
After taking a shower, I found myself thinking "I know where this water is going." I had honestly never thought about where waste water went. Even though it didn't smell great, the sewage plant was incredible in the way it changed the nastiest of water into clean water.
Before the tour, I did not know how complex the entire system was. There are so many switches, generators, tanks, filters, etc. I could easily get lost amidst all of these machines. Just as Bryan said, looking over the Cumberland River atop the bridge was definitely my favorite part of the day. I also did not know how far the plant's water can go.
Water treatment is definitely a must. Water is probably the most essential energy for our body, and without purified water, we would not prosper as we do today, in fact, we would die, mainly because of the bacteria and diseases being spread.
I did not know that the water treatment plant pulls water directly from the Cumberland River. I thought that there was just one plant with a fixed amount of water that continuously cycled through the area. Water treatment eliminates harmful bacteria and any pollution or chemicals that may be in the water. Water treatment helps keep people healthy, but there are certain risks and threats involved. The treatment could have harmful effects on people or if people flush pills or drugs they could infect the water.
It really surprised me how intricate the water and sewage treatment plants were. I have never really thought about where our clean water comes from, and like Maddie, I can now appreciate how easily we are able to come by it. I learned how important water treatment is today, mainly by gaining an understanding of the effects of unclean water in other countries. Many of the deadliest diseases in other countries can be prevented by providing access to clean water.
The impact of water treatment was never obvious to me but it stares me in the face whenever I drink water. The various holding tanks and filtration systems were something I learned a lot about. I usually think of water purification as a filtration process, but the chemical balance of pH and toxicity remained occluded to me. Water treatment eliminates the spreading of many diseases that plague the underdeveloped world.
I never really acknowledged the fact that our water comes from the same river boats travel on and so being at the plant and seeing the Cumberland River right next to it made me realize that a lot must go into treating the water we drink everyday. The thing that surprised me the most about the plant was the number of workers there (being not very many).
Before visiting and discussing the complex process and workings of the water treatment plant, I had never before considered the many steps it takes to make sure that our water is pure. I feel that easy access to clean water is something many Americans don't fully appreciate and view as an expected luxury, while many people across the world don't have the benefits of facilities like treatment plants, causing diseases to spread and take hold in less fortunate communities.
I didn't know how the process as a whole was conducted and the steps it took to produce a clean water that we can use safely. It was interesting how each step was necessary for the cleanliness of the water. It is so vital that we ensure that our water supply is clean and healthy, after all, we are 70% made of water so it would be nice if it were clean and we could keep from getting sick and unhealthy.
Although I have always known, as many others have said, that water has to go through multiple steps-including the addition of various substances- I was amazed at how much work goes into making our water clean. I didn't realize that it took so much time, and money to keep everything running smoothly, and how everything has to be carefully measured. Visiting both the sewer and water treatment plants made me appreciate the clean water we have, because, to be honest, it was kind of disgusting initially. Without proper water treatment, diseases would spread like wildfire, and basically our society would collapse.
The Vanderbilt Young Scholars Medical Program allows exceptional high school students to experience what life is like in a large academic medical center. Participants are an elite group of rising 11th and 12th grade students who are proven leaders with strong character, intellectual curiosity, motivation, extracurricular talent, a passion for health sciences, and a diversity of backgrounds, interests, and life experiences.
YSMP is a 3 week hands-on experiential non-boarding program taught by Vanderbilt Medical Center faculty providing insight into an academic medical center. The program focuses on the M.D. Patient Care, M.D. Research, R.N. and Medical Technology fields.
12 comments:
Prior to todays experience, I was unaware of the numerous steps that go into treating our city's water. The treatment plant is filled with many non-functioning historical machines. Standing on the bridge and over looking the Cumberland River was undoubtedly my favorite part. Having a complete water treatment system is a must for populated areas. Without proper filtration people who consume the water may be exposed to diseases and toxins. A successful method to purify our water is fundamental.
I suppose I knew, even before the tour of the plant, that it took several steps to get water purified enough to drink. But it was interesting to learn about, and actually get to see each stage of the process from the very beginning with simply separating out leaves and sticks from river water- to the end with adding chlorine to kill bacteria.
Going through the tour of the water treatment plants, both the clean water one and the sewage one made me appreciate so much more the easy access we all have to clean water. Really getting to see each of the steps and how they play out opened my eyes to the effort we put into water and really how much water we each use daily. It really made me aware of what I drink each day, brush my teeth with, wash dishes with, etc.
After taking a shower, I found myself thinking "I know where this water is going." I had honestly never thought about where waste water went. Even though it didn't smell great, the sewage plant was incredible in the way it changed the nastiest of water into clean water.
Before the tour, I did not know how complex the entire system was. There are so many switches, generators, tanks, filters, etc. I could easily get lost amidst all of these machines. Just as Bryan said, looking over the Cumberland River atop the bridge was definitely my favorite part of the day. I also did not know how far the plant's water can go.
Water treatment is definitely a must. Water is probably the most essential energy for our body, and without purified water, we would not prosper as we do today, in fact, we would die, mainly because of the bacteria and diseases being spread.
I did not know that the water treatment plant pulls water directly from the Cumberland River. I thought that there was just one plant with a fixed amount of water that continuously cycled through the area. Water treatment eliminates harmful bacteria and any pollution or chemicals that may be in the water. Water treatment helps keep people healthy, but there are certain risks and threats involved. The treatment could have harmful effects on people or if people flush pills or drugs they could infect the water.
It really surprised me how intricate the water and sewage treatment plants were. I have never really thought about where our clean water comes from, and like Maddie, I can now appreciate how easily we are able to come by it. I learned how important water treatment is today, mainly by gaining an understanding of the effects of unclean water in other countries. Many of the deadliest diseases in other countries can be prevented by providing access to clean water.
The impact of water treatment was never obvious to me but it stares me in the face whenever I drink water. The various holding tanks and filtration systems were something I learned a lot about. I usually think of water purification as a filtration process, but the chemical balance of pH and toxicity remained occluded to me. Water treatment eliminates the spreading of many diseases that plague the underdeveloped world.
I never really acknowledged the fact that our water comes from the same river boats travel on and so being at the plant and seeing the Cumberland River right next to it made me realize that a lot must go into treating the water we drink everyday. The thing that surprised me the most about the plant was the number of workers there (being not very many).
Before visiting and discussing the complex process and workings of the water treatment plant, I had never before considered the many steps it takes to make sure that our water is pure. I feel that easy access to clean water is something many Americans don't fully appreciate and view as an expected luxury, while many people across the world don't have the benefits of facilities like treatment plants, causing diseases to spread and take hold in less fortunate communities.
I didn't know how the process as a whole was conducted and the steps it took to produce a clean water that we can use safely. It was interesting how each step was necessary for the cleanliness of the water. It is so vital that we ensure that our water supply is clean and healthy, after all, we are 70% made of water so it would be nice if it were clean and we could keep from getting sick and unhealthy.
Although I have always known, as many others have said, that water has to go through multiple steps-including the addition of various substances- I was amazed at how much work goes into making our water clean. I didn't realize that it took so much time, and money to keep everything running smoothly, and how everything has to be carefully measured. Visiting both the sewer and water treatment plants made me appreciate the clean water we have, because, to be honest, it was kind of disgusting initially. Without proper water treatment, diseases would spread like wildfire, and basically our society would collapse.
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