The City of Penticton is reaching out to local schools to help arrange tours and presentations that educate students about the importance of water treatment and conservation, recycling and other key environmental processes.
“We’re excited to be able to offer these out-of-the-classroom learning experiences,” says Mayor Julius Bloomfield. “A lot of the good work that’s done by the City is often out of public view and this allows the next generation to see their science lessons come to life, while learning important lessons about the roles we each play to conserve and protect our natural environment.”
While tours have been available in the past on an ad-hoc basis, the City is now offering a formalized approach to connect schools with tours of the Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants, as well as in-school presentations about recycling.
On-site tours are available of Penticton’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in Canada, treating wastewater to the most stringent processes available. Also, groups are invited to tour the City’s Water Treatment Plant, which uses multiple technologies to treat 7 billion litres of water each year, providing the community with clean drinking water.
The recycling presentations provide an opportunity for students to learn the importance of recycling correctly, as well as an understanding of which items can be recycled at home, versus which items should be returned to the depot.
“Interest from the schools has been incredibly positive, with hundreds of students already taking part in facility tours and receiving recycling presentations,” says Katya Irwin, Communications Advisor. “By providing these real-life experiences, we hope students will gain meaningful learnings that they will share with their families and carry into the future.”
Facility tours are also offered to community groups. For more information, visit penticton.ca/city-tours.