What happens when it goes down

the drain?

A Coloring & Activity Book

UseWe

WaterThe

Name:

Date:

Definitions for all bolded words throughout this activity book can be found in the Glossary located on the last page.

This activity book has been provided by:

Water falls to Earth as rain, snow, and other forms of precipitation. It evaporates into the air, forms clouds, and falls back to Earth again as fresh water. That water is cleaned, and people use it for things like drinking and bathing.

But have you ever thought about where the

water goes after we use it? You know, after we flush the

toilet or it goes down the drain?

I’m Otto the Owl, and I’m here to teach you

what happens to water after we use it!

The water on Earth today is the same water that was here when Earth was formed and when the dinosaurs lived!

The Water Cycle

FASTFACT

FASTFACT

PUMPSTATION

WASTEWATERTREATMENT PLANT

Where Does the Water Go?Once we use water, like after a bath or when we flush the toilet, it becomes known as “wastewater.” Pipes that connect to your home’s toilets, bathtubs, showers, and sinks carry the wastewater to underground pipes. Did you ever think that the streets you ride your bike on might have pipes laying beneath them? Cool, right?

Who Is Responsible?

WastewaterWastewater

Clean Water

That’s a lot of people, a lot of wastewater, and a really big system! So, let’s learn about it together, step-by-step.

SASD’s pipes connect to much larger pipes. Those larger pipes connect to our region’s wastewater treatment plant. The larger pipes and the wastewater treatment plant are owned and maintained by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San). Regional San is a wastewater treatment utility that serves about 1.4 million people.

After leaving your home’s pipes, the wastewater travels through miles of underground pipes. For most of the Sacramento region, these underground pipes are owned and maintained by the Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD). SASD is a wastewater collection utility that serves about 1.2 million people.

After being flushed or going down a drain, wastewater travels to SASD’s collection pipes. For most of the pipes, gravity does the work to move the wastewater, but in some areas, we need a little help to move it along. So, SASD also has more than 100 pump stations that help keep the wastewater moving toward the wastewater treatment plant.

Collection Pipes and Pump Stations

FASTFACT

FASTFACTSASD owns and maintains

4,500 miles of sewer pipe in the Sacramento region. That’s the same number of miles it takes to drive from California to Tennessee and THEN BACK! Maintaining all those pipes is a really big, really important job.

RI V E R

Keeping the Flow MovingSASD employees work hard every day to keep pipes and pump stations clean and clear. Let’s take a look at the types of tools they use to keep the system in good working order.

Special cameras allow crews to have “eyes” inside the pipes. The images from these cameras show crews if there is a problem in the pipes that needs to be fixed.

Special trucks with long hoses and special nozzles are used if pipes needs to be cleaned. These nozzles use pressurized water to clean the inside of pipes.

Construction equipment is used to dig when crews need to repair broken pipe. Excavators help crews get down to the pipe so it can be repaired or replaced.

SASD’s crews respond to customer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days per year — even on holidays! Sewer problems?

Always call SASD first at (916) 875-6730. They’ll help you figure out the next step.

You Can Help Keep Pipes Clear!

Stop the Clog!

Let’s Learn More!

One way that pipes become clogged is from fats, oils, and grease — also known as FOG. Just as fat builds up and causes blockages in human arteries, FOG hardens and builds up in household pipes. Over time, the pipes become more and more clogged. This buildup eventually prevents the flow

of wastewater, and since the wastewater has to go somewhere, it can back up into homes and neighborhoods.

What’s the best way to prevent backups and protect the environment? Don’t ever put FOG down the drain! Instead, can it, scrape it, and trash it!

Keeping the wastewater flowing smoothly is important, and you can help at home! Many things can cause clogs in the pipes, and clogged pipes lead to BIG problems. If a clog builds up in a pipe and blocks the flow of wastewater, the wastewater can back up into our homes and neighborhoods. When this happens, it’s called a sewer overflow. Sewer overflows are bad for the environment, costly, and just plain gross. Yuck!

Here’s a list of common FOG-containing foods that should never be put down the drain:

✔ Meat ✔ Oils ✔ Sauces ✔ Salad Dressing ✔ Shortening ✔ Butter ✔ Fats ✔ Peanut Butter ✔ Cream

Can it!Once cooled, pour leftover oils and grease into a sturdy container.

Scrape it!Before washing, scrape fats, oils, and grease from pots and pans.

Trash it!Put fatty and greasy food scraps in the garbage, not down the drain.

Nothing's getting past us!

FASTFACT

FASTFACT

?

YES! NO!

Here's what you'll need:

Two clear, sealable containers (like a pitcher with a lid)

Water

Toilet paper

Any kind of wipe

A grown-up to help you

Work with a grown-up you live with to identify some FOG-containing food items in your refrigerator and pantry.

How many FOG-containing food items can you come up with that should never be put down the drain?

Extra Credit! Tell at least one grown-up who doesn’t live with you how to properly dispose of FOG.

I taught the following people how to properly dispose of FOG!

Extra Credit! Tell at least one grown-up who doesn’t live with you how to properly dispose of wipes.

I taught the following people how to properly dispose of wipes!

No Wipes in the Pipes!Another BIG problem for the wastewater system is caused by a household product known as “wipes.” There are lots of different types of wipes out there: baby wipes, cleansing wipes, and even wipes labeled as “flushable.” If flushed, these wipes can clog SASD’s pipes and pump stations, and that can lead to a sewer overflow. Toilet paper is made to break down in water, but wipes are not. When it comes to wipes, trash them, don’t flush them! Remember, no wipes in the pipes!

Did the toilet paper break down in the water? ____________

Did the wipe break down in the water? ______________

Do this experiment at home to get a first hand look at the difference between how toilet paper and wipes break down in water.

Place equal amounts of water into the two containers.

Instructions:

Add two squares of toilet paper to one container, and add one wipe to the other container.

Tightly seal both containers so water does not spill out.

Swirl each container for one minute, then let both containers sit on the counter for two hours.

After two hours, observe the differences between the toilet paper and wipe. Take notes about your observations.

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345

2

Remember, when it comes to wipes, trash them, don’t flush them!

Do at Home Do at Home

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

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SASD’s wastewater collection pipes connect to Regional San’s pipes. Gravity does much of the work in Regional San’s system, too, but pump stations help keep the flow moving in some areas. More than a 100 million

gallons of wastewater a day move through a system of giant interceptor pipes. These interceptor pipes carry the collected wastewater to the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant near Elk Grove.

Interceptor Pipes and Pump Stations

Some interceptor pipes are big

enough to drive a car through!

What Happens at the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant?

The Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is located near Elk Grove. And it never sleeps! People use water in their homes and flush toilets at all hours of the day, right? So, the wastewater treatment plant operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Millions of gallons of wastewater arrive at the treatment plant every day, where it is cleaned and treated. Some of the treated wastewater is even used for other purposes!

FASTFACT

FASTFACT

On average, the wastewater treatment plant treats about

190 OLYMPIC-SIZED POOLS!

of wastewater each and every day! That’s enough to fill

125 MILLION GALLONS

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START

FINISH

That’s a lot of wastewater!

The Treatment Process

Step 1Once the wastewater arrives at the treatment plant, huge bar screens catch and remove objects such as sticks, rags, rocks, and tree branches. (Yep, all kinds of stuff ends up in our sewers!) The bar screens help prevent damage to the equipment that cleans the wastewater.

Step 2Next, the wastewater travels to grit settling tanks. In these tanks, heavy particles — such as gravel and sand — sink to the bottom and are removed. From there, the wastewater travels to the primary settling tanks. Large chains that have paddles attached remove the oily stuff floating on top, called scum. They also pull the heavy solids, called primary sludge, from the bottom.

Step 3The next step happens in large oxygen reactor tanks. Oxygen is added to a mixture of wastewater and microorganisms. There, microorganisms eat the remaining solid material and get fat and happy!

Step 4 Now the water travels to secondary settling tanks where pumps force the water up through the center of the tank. The water gradually moves toward the outer rim of the tank through a series of weirs. The water becomes cleaner and clearer after passing over the weirs, as the solids and microorganisms sink to the bottom of the tank. Some of the sludge is sent to the digesters for treatment, and the rest is reused in the oxygen reactor tanks.

During this process, our scientists look for the presence of good microorganisms (bacteria) using a microscope. Bacteria is one of the microorganisms that helps clean the wastewater.

Step 5 Solids from the primary and secondary settling tanks are pumped into covered tanks called digesters. In these tanks, microorganisms found naturally in wastewater gobble up the solids and produce methane gas. Methane gas is delivered to a nearby power plant, where it’s burned to produce electric power.

DIGESTER

Step 6Each year, the wastewater treatment plant produces tons of biosolids. Biosolids are environmentally safe and can be used as a fertilizer for landscaping and agricultural use. The remaining solids, which are now mostly made up of water, are placed into solids storage ponds for up to five years. After that, they’re injected into lined dedicated land disposal units.

Step 7The final step in the treatment process is to add bleach for disinfection. This will help kill any harmful organisms that might still remain in the treated wastewater. A second chemical — sodium bisulfite — then neutralizes the bleach so that the treated water is safe to put in the river.

From start to finish, the wastewater spends about 8 hours at the wastewater treatment plant. It is then safely discharged through a large pipe located at the bottom of the Sacramento River.

After all this treatment, the cleaned wastewater gets tested by plant operators and scientists

to confirm it’s safe to put into the Sacramento River.

W A C S S E W E R P I P E S O S W E S N CA C O C P T S Q U A N E N T O D C N U O NS C N I E M M N A A T C P O L I U V I I OT C U E A E Q W S S E R T R C L C I T T IE C E N K C K L T R R V O M I O U R N A TW Z R C T S A P V Z C I O E Z S T O W N AA I V E Y N S Q U R E X L R O O U N E I TT C A T O S U O E U P R I C O I N M T P IE X T I E P R C U E T Z T U C B T E T I PR O G C Y E Y W D L O K L R O A V N A C IW E O U T C A Y T U R S T Y E W A T O E CR R N M L P S Y I P S C I R N C E A A R EP O O E L C P S Y I P W T D S M N T T P RL U N I C A Y B U F F E R L A N D S E P P

BiosolidsBufferlandsEnvironmentInterceptors

Mercury PrecipitationProcess

Recycle Regional SanScience

Sewer pipes TreatmentWastewater

Regional San Cares about the Environment

Another thing that is hard to get out of wastewater is an element called mercury. Mercury can be found in fluorescent lightbulbs (the ones with the curvy tubes), some button-style batteries, and even old silver thermometers and thermostats. Whenever these things break, they spill mercury and release an invisible poisonous vapor that is harmful to your

health. Mercury is also harmful to the environment—including

fish and animals! So just like we do for medications,

get rid of anything containing mercury at a special disposal facility.

Regional San also teaches people how they can help protect the environment. For example, did you know that flushing medications down the toilet can end up polluting our water supply?

When wastewater gets cleaned, all those medications can’t be removed. They are tricky! That means that some end up in the river after the wastewater has been treated. That’s not good for the fish, the river, or the environment. So don’t flush your meds! Instead, take them to places that have special disposal bins.

Regional San helps the environment in many ways. One way is by producing “recycled” water. This recycled water has gone through additional cleaning processes to make it safe for things like watering lawns and plants in public parks. It is delivered in special purple pipes to keep it separate from the drinkable water we use in our homes.

Science is a big part of what we do. We have a special team of scientists working every day to better understand how we can protect the environment, especially our rivers. Without healthy rivers, humans, fish, animals, and plant life would suffer.

That’s why our scientists spend a lot of time on the river doing experiments and research projects. We want to make sure what we’re doing helps protect the creatures living in rivers, lakes, or oceans.

WORD SEARCH

NOPE!

The Bufferlands – Regional San’s Unique Environmental ResourceSurrounding the wastewater treatment plant is 2,150 acres of open space known as the Bufferlands. The Bufferlands is home to more than 200 bird species, 25 species of mammals, and many species of fish and plants. Some of these are threatened or endangered species.

Being good neighbors means remembering to watch out for even the tiniest creatures. Using the crossword puzzle below, learn more about the critters that call the Bufferlands home.

1 2

3

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5 6 7

8

9

Answers:

Across: 1-rabbit, 4-skunk, 5-bufferlands, 8-nest, 9-owlDown: 2-tree, 3-oak, 4-snake, 6-fish, 7-raccoon

Careers in the Wastewater Industry

From wastewater collection to treatment, it takes a variety of skills to make everything flow smoothly. Here are some of the jobs in the wastewater industry:

Across

Down

1. A mammal that hops

4. This "stinker" has a white stripe on its back.

5. Name of the land around the treatment plant

8. A baby bird's bed made of twigs

9. I hunt and hoot at night.

2. I give shade and a home to many birds.

3. A big valley tree

4. I'm a reptile that slithers.

6. I have gills so I can breathe underwater.

7. I have a ringed tail and a cute mask.

Bar Screens: Special screens that filter out large objects coming into the wastewater treatment plant.

Biosolids: Treated wastewater solids that can be used as a fertilizer.

Collection Pipes: Pipes that collect wastewater and transport it to Interceptor Pipes.

Dedicated Land Disposal: An area of land used for the disposal of solids.

Digesters: Large covered tanks that break down and reduce the amount of sludge.

Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG): Byproducts of cooking that can cause buildup and blocked pipes if washed down the drain.

Grit Settling Tanks: The part of the wastewater treatment process where grit, gravel, and sand settle to the bottom and are removed.

Interceptor Pipes: Very large underground pipes that transport wastewater to the treatment plant.

Methane Gas: Gas that results from microorganisms eating sludge in the digesters. This gas helps provide electricity for the wastewater treatment plant.

Oxygen Reactor Tanks: Large tanks that provide oxygen to energize microorganisms so they can eat solid material in the wastewater.

Precipitation: Water that forms in the atmosphere and then drops onto Earth's surface.

Primary Settling Tanks: The part of the wastewater treatment process where the smaller particles settle to the bottom for removal.

Primary Sludge: Solids removed from wastewater during the treatment process.

Pump Stations: Pumps that keep wastewater moving to the treatment plant.

Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD): The utility that provides wastewater collection service to more than 1.2 million people throughout the Sacramento region.

Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San): The utility that provides wastewater conveyance and treatment services to 1.4 million people in the Sacramento region.

Secondary Settling Tanks: The wastewater treatment process where solids settle and are removed to produce cleaner water.

Sewer Overflow: An overflow of wastewater from sewer pipes caused by blockages.

Wastewater: The water you flush down your toilet or that drains from your bathtub, sink, washing machine, and other household sources.

Weirs: Devices that are used to raise, regulate, or change the direction of water.

Wipes: Baby wipes, cleansing wipes, and “flushable” wipes don’t break down in the sewer pipes and can cause blockages and overflows.

Glossary

For more information, visit our websites:sacsewer.com • regionalsan.com

Sewer problems? Call us first at 916-875-6730!