Agenda - Protecting Household Drinking Water

Water Quality: Protecting Household Drinking Water
Module 3

Lesson 2- Agenda
Acknowledgement: Taken from "Living on the Land 2001"

Time	Section	Goal	Activity	Instructor
5 min	Introduction and presentation of agenda	Answer any questions or concerns from the last class Clearly delineate what will be covered in this lesson.	Agenda: Sources of drinking water – the local watershed, ground water, wells Laws to protect drinking water esting drinking water Steps to take to protect well water How household waste disposal systems work Maintaining a septic system	Agenda Depending on number of participants and time between this lesson and the last, an icebreaker may be needed. PowerPoint slides 1-2
20 min	Sources of drinking water – the local watershed, ground water and wells	Reinforce understanding of the connection between surface and ground water, and how wells work.	Participants outline their watersheds and discuss possible sources of contamination to the ground water. If available, use ground water model to demonstrate effects of pumping and how contamination occurs.	Map of one or more local watersheds (see www.topozone.com) PowerPoint slides 3-6
5 min	Laws to protect drinking water	Participants will gain understanding of personal responsibility for monitoring drinking water quality.	Review the Safe Drinking Water Act.	Handouts on drinking water standards PowerPoint slide 7
20 min	Testing drinking water	Provide sufficient information to allow participants to test their own drinking water.	Clear/yellow/cloudy water activity. Step through the process for taking a water sample and explain differences between samples for bacteria vs. chemistry. Discuss frequency with which water should be sampled and how to maintain records.	“Drinking water quality: Which would YOU drink?” List of drinking water testing labs; “Test Your Drinking Water If…”; “Interpreting a Mineral Analysis” PowerPoint slides 8-26
15 min	BREAK	BREAK	BREAK	BREAK
20 min	Protecting well water; assessing well condition	Participants will be able to assess the condition of their well water as well as apply management procedures to protect their wells.	Discuss basic factors of concern in protecting well water: Well location and separation distances Well condition Well construction Condition of well and casing	“Recommended minimum separation distances;” well maintenance record; well assessment worksheets; “How Can I Protect My…” PowerPoint slides 27-33
15 min	How septic systems work	Participants will understand that all household wastes must be processed through their septic systems into leachfields.	Describe how a septic system functions, including tank, leachfield and soil.	PowerPoint slides 34-41
15 min	Maintaining the septic system	Participants will be able to adjust their household waste management to optimize their systems. Particpants will calculate the frequency with which their systems must be pumped, and then schedule service accordingly.	Discuss the maintenance tips and suggestions. Show some actual additive products available on the market and their claims. Stress the need for pumping.	Samples of septic tank additives and toxic products Septic assessment checksheets PowerPoint slides 42-53
5 min	Summary, questions and answers	Summarize class. Answer questions.	Summary	Assign homework

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