Facility Tours & Guest Speakers

    Beginning in September 2008, the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority and Solid Waste/Recycling began collaborating to provide public education on the importance of water in our lives, the wastewater treatment process, stormwater, and protecting out environment. Groups of up to 100 visitors can be accommodated at one time. From Kindergarten to Senior Groups, the content can be modified to be age appropriate.

(Smaller groups can also be accommodated with a modified schedule)

    Visitors are divided into three groups of approximately 30 students. Each group participates in an activity for approximately 45-50 mins, then they all rotate so every student sees all aspects.

About the Program

    The three activities are:

• Solid Waste/Recycling and Stormwater Eduaction
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour
• Wastewater Treatment Process Overview

    The Solid Waste/Recycling activity includes an age appropriate tour of the transfer station and/or a truck demonstration of the new Toter system. Dan and his team present the new Single Stream Recycling program, stressing the importance and financial benefit of recycling and introduce goals and incentives to increase school and public participation in the mandatory program.

    This message is segued into Stormwater Education through a brief video and discussion of the impact of pollution on receiving bodies of water and how trash should be recycled and not discarded in the environment where it can impact fish and other wildlife as well as water quality at local beaches!

    During the Wastewater Education portion, the students view an animated graphic of the wastewater treatment process, including the collection system.  Actual samples are presented for illustration.  Live microscopic footage of the Activated Sludge Process is also included for educational examples.  The goal is for students to realize that Wastewater treatment is a natural process with very few chemicals; that wastewater and storm water are not combined, but separate and therefore, stormwater pollution is something that only the actions of individuals can control;

    While on the Wastewater Plant Facility Tour, students view the wastewater process in operation while wearing hard hats for safety and protection.  The tour proceeds through the actual flow of the plant and includes the Solid Processing Facility, stressing the importance of dewatering the solids and that Biosolids have beneficial uses.

For more information or to schedule a visit/speaker, contact:
Mary Lee Santoro, Laboratory Analyst & Public Outreach Coordinator.

Downloadable Brochure

Phone: 203.977.4592
Fax: 203.977.5250
Email: msantoro@ci.stamford.ct.us

All Programs Are Free!