Field Trips: Rio De Flag Snowbowl Oak Creek Canyon Flagstaff Middle School Pond EEOP in the News: ‘To’ bee iina’’ Water is life Environmental Education for Tribal Students Other: Problem Based Learning Project WET Technology Student Problem Log NNEPA

Field Trip – On-Site Wastewater Treatment Many Summer Scholars students’ homes are not connected to a municipal wastewater system. Many of the Summer Scholars students’ homes use on-site wastewater treatment systems such as a septic tank. The Northern Arizona University campus has an on-site wastewater treatment demonstration and training facility. NAU engineering students use this area for learning and exploring ideas for sewage treatment. Summer Scholar students learned about on-site wastewater treatment methods, which use natural materials like sand, peat moss and rocks. Septic systems, the most frequently used system in Northern Arizona, were on display for the students to learn about. Properly used, a septic system can last for many years. The students learned that these systems hold bacteria or living organisms that digest the human waste. Improper use of the septic system can kill the bacteria needed to digest the waste. Proper wastewater treatment protects the environment and the health of humans. Many diseases like dysentery, cholera and typhoid can be spread through improper wastewater treatment. Third-world countries have problems dealing with their sewage and numerous people become ill as a result. Here in the United States, our water sources are relatively safe, as a result of proper wastewater and drinking water treatments. Although the on-site wastewater treatment looked very different from the Rio de Flag treatment plant, students learned that the methods used to treat the water were similar.