The awesome Aberdeen Lions participate in “Imagine A Day Without Water”

Ask the third graders at Aberdeen Elementary School about the value of water, and they can tell you. “Imagine a Day Without Water” is a project of Pam Henifin, a Hampton master gardener water steward. Henifin and fellow master gardener and HCS STEM teacher specialist, Betsy McAllister spent time last week with these inquisitive learners and the talented teaching team of Candace Banks, Bianca Bemley, Iyana Council, Angel Johnson, and Jaz Sedgwick, demonstrating the scarcity of Earth’s drinking water. The students participated in the Project Wet activity “A Drop In the Bucket.”  Students also learned about the indirect ways they use water through the hands-on activity “Water Works.” For example, it takes about 1,800 gallons of water to make a single pair of jeans.

HDR, a global professional services firm, donated notebooks complete with a personal water usage log, for the students to use for recording and calculating their daily water use. Students will analyze their water usage, comparing it to the national average of approximately 100 gallons, and determine actions they can take in their daily lives to conserve water. The third grade team toured HRSD’s (Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s)  SWIFT Research Center  (Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow) to learn about the innovative and advanced processes SWIFT uses to treat wastewater to drinking water standards. Lacie Wever, HRSD community educator, led students in an engineering design challenge to build an effective water filtration system.

October 17 is the day the U.S. Water Alliance celebrates “Imagine a Day Without Water,” a national educational campaign highlighting how important water is to all of us.  The third grade Lions can share with their families and friends what they have learned and get them excited about water stewardship and the value of water. Why not take the challenge with the Aberdeen Lions and monitor your own water usage using this water use chart!