The Metro Water Recovery board of directors asked for a presentation to help them better understand the wastewater treatment processes. They didn’t realize how useful it would be for larger public education efforts.

The utility provides wastewater treatment services to 61 local governments, from which its board members are appointed. Its 805-square-mile territory includes 2.2 million people in Denver and parts of five Colorado counties. It treats 135 mgd of wastewater from most of metro Denver, operating the Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility and the Northern Treatment Plant.  

INTERACTIVE WEBSITE

The board sought a way to understand how water quality improves through the treatment process. Muzit Kiflai, senior continuous improvement manager, observes, “Instead of a one-time presentation, we created the website. It became an educational resource that we update every six months to keep the information current.”

The website took six weeks to complete, and the content was created internally. Kiflai relied on wastewater operators for process descriptions and tapped the Environmental Services, Engineering, and Technology and Innovation departments. The site was promoted on Facebook and by word of mouth. As of fall 2023, it had logged more than 7,000 visitors.

A virtual classroom experience was first explored in 2020 while the COVID-19 pandemic was still relevant. Some schools were still not back to in-person classes, and educators wanted a virtual tour of the treatment facilities. The live tours are limited to 28 attendees, not enough capacity for larger classes; that made the virtual classroom experience ideal.

Employees took the idea to their children’s teachers and reached out to educators in their families to let them know about the resource. From there, word spread.

TREATMENT MAP

Visitors to the website can click on all the treatment process stages and get a detailed explanation. Colleen Miller, public information specialist, presents the virtual classroom to students and educators through Zoom. She includes the website as part of her program; the virtual experience takes about 30 minutes.

“Teachers love the website because they learn along with the students and then use it afterwards to continue teaching about the wastewater treatment process,” Miller says. “Home-schoolers have called us, and so have private schools. Parents who have special-needs children have asked for one-on-one presentations. It is useful for all class sizes.” As of fall 2023, more than 7,000 visitors to the website have clicked on the tool.

The website has also been helpful for educating utility contractors, consultants and vendors and for onboarding new employees. Miller has tweaked the virtual classroom presentation for groups of different ages, such as retirees, civic clubs, scout troops and community educators.

“A rural school in Wyoming asked for a presentation,” Miller says. “They are out of our service area, but we were happy to help. Those students only attend school two days a week because their school is an hour from their homes.”

Kiflai notes that the website and virtual classroom have exceeded expectations. The website (treatment.metrowaterrecovery.com/) won a 2023 Public Information and Education award in the e-media category from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.