BSSC Intermediate VCAL students came together this morning with teachers and special guests from Coliban Water to celebrate the finale of the H2Go project.
The project, in conjunction with Coliban Water, encouraged students to investigate the journey of Bendigo’s water supply from reservoir to tap, and gain a better understanding of the processes involved.
Along the way they’ve had the chance to explore careers in the industry by interviewing Coliban staff, visit the Bendigo Water Treatment Plant at Big Hill, venture inside the dam wall at Lauriston Reservoir, and create their own ‘Choose Tap Water’ campaign at BSSC. All while fulfilling the Literacy and Numeracy requirements of their VCAL program.
Education Officer at Coliban Water, Alice Rowbottom, has been closely involved in each stage of the project and said that it was wonderful to see the awareness gained by students.
“We often take clean water for granted,” she said. “So it’s been great for the students to see where their water comes from, and how lucky we are in Bendigo to have water of such high quality coming from our taps.”
VCAL student Chelsi Benbow said she was amazed to learn that Bendigo tap water tastes better than bottled water, and water from other areas in the state.
“We did a taste test at the start of the project, and you could actually taste the difference between the water from different regions in Victoria,” she said. “We definitely have better tasting water in Bendigo.”
Harrison Aldridge was amazed at the behind-the-scenes processes that result in Bendigo tap water.
“It was incredible to see the things they do to the water to make it drinkable,” he said. “…the holding tanks, the filtering, the ozone treatment and the constant testing that happens.”
On Wednesday 20 June, as part of ParticipACTION Week, students will present their Choose Tap Water campaign in the Ulumbarra Plaza, with activities and water tasting aimed at encouraging the BSSC community to give bottled water the flick.