Students at Heritage Middle School Complete Water Study Analysis In Partnership with Orange County Water Authority’s GET WET! Program
Recently, eighty-two students from the Law and Forensics House at Heritage Middle School completed a water study analysis, led by Conservation Education Coordinator Ed Helbig, as part of the Orange County Water Authority’s Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation and Testing (GET WET!) Program.
Students from Aileen Toback’s classes, assisted by Orange County Community College students, worked in a collaborative effort as ‘citizen-scientists’ utilizing drinking water from their homes to research, test and analyze the results of the area’s water system. Students tested levels of sodium chloride, nitrates, pH, conductivity, iron, hardness and other various drinking water issues in New York, relevant to private well water, municipal/community well water and public reservoirs.
GET WET! offers an opportunity for educators, students, local governments, and the general public to learn about their local natural history and draw the connection between land use and water quality. The information gathered becomes part of a data compilation by establishing a long-term town-centered monitoring program that can be used by the community. The data provides municipal leaders and residents with the knowledge to make educated decisions with respect to planning, management, and development of their respective municipality. The student data acquired from the program is also added to a growing database managed on a geographic information system (GIS) program.
“GET WET! provided my students with a real world, hands-on laboratory experience. Heritage students conducted various tests on their drinking water and were able to determine the quality of their families’ water source. Now, the students’ data will be utilized by researchers throughout New York State,” explained Toback.
For more information about the GET WET! Program visit http://waterauthority.orangecountygov.com
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