Wastewater treatment plant

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/wastewater-treatment-plant

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Municipal infrastructure and environmental engineering system
2. What is the related scientific fields?Environmental engineering, microbiology, chemistry, public health, and hydrology
3. Why do we need wastewater treatment plants?They keep us healthy by stopping dirty water from spreading diseases and protect fish and plants by cleaning the water before it goes back into nature.
4. How does a wastewater treatment plant clean the water?It uses several steps: first it removes big pieces with screens, then it lets the dirt settle in big tanks, and finally it uses tiny microbes and extra treatments to break down the rest.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): A measure of the amount of oxygen required by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in wastewater.
Eutrophication: The excessive richness of nutrients in a body of water, causing dense growth of plant life and depletion of oxygen.
Biosolids: Treated sewage sludge that can be safely used as a soil conditioner or fertilizer.