By the time students graduate from high school in Palo Alto, Calif., some know the equipment and microbes in the city wastewater treatment plant like the bushes and bugs in their own backyards. Wastewater treatment and good stewardship are introduced in elementary school, where students learn about the flora and fauna in nearby creeks and the differences between storm and sanitary sewers. They can even visit the treatment plant or volunteer to stencil storm drains. By middle school, the lessons become more academic and involve laboratory work.“The kids have seen different programs throughout their public education career,” says Karin North,
