Fifth graders learn about water during Drinking Water Week
Moapa Valley fifth graders in two different elementary schools learned about the importance of their drinking water as part of the celebration of National Drinking Water Week. The students enjoyed an entertaining and interactive presentation given by water operators from Moapa Valley Water District (MVWD), the purveyor of drinking water for the Logandale, Moapa and Overton communities.
On Tuesday, May 6, MVWD crew members Mica Leatham and Ryan McNinch visited Grant Bowler Elementary and gave a presentation to the fifth grade class in four different sessions throughout the school day. The two men then went to Ute Perkins Elementary on Wednesday afternoon with a similar presentation to fifth graders there.
For many years now, MVWD has joined with the American Water Works Association to celebrate Drinking Water Week. The district has held community prize drawings and other contests to encourage engagement with the public.
“It has been a unique opportunity for us to get the word out in our community of the vital role that water plays in our daily lives,” said MVWD General Manager Joe Davis.
This year, however, the district staff decided to take the show on the road and present it directly to local kids.
“Several years ago, we did have a program to go into local schools and teach kids about water,” said Leatham. “But for one reason or another, we got away from doing that. So we are happy now to be back in the schools again. We want the rising generation to know about the importance of this essential resource.”
In the presentation, students learned that water is a finite and precious commodity. “Did you know that the water we have on Earth is the same water that was present when our planet was first formed?” Leatham told the classes. “I thought that was pretty interesting: that it is the same water that has been here all along.”
Leatham explained the water cycle, which is responsible for spreading water around the world through evaporation, condensation, transportation and precipitation.
Leatham also taught about the difference between groundwater and surface water. He explained that much of the water used by Moapa Valley residents is groundwater, meaning that it is naturally stored in a deep underground aquifer. He added that this water comes from the aquifer in a relatively pure state. It needs very little treatment before it is delivered to local homes.
Fifth graders were interested and engaged in learning throughout the presentation. Leatham told a lot of stories and personal experiences which kept the youngsters’ attention. The students also had many interesting questions as the presentation continued, each of which Leatham thoughtfully answered.
“I was really impressed with how attentive these kids were,” Leatham said. “They listened really well and they asked very thoughtful questions. I feel like it went really well.”
During each presentation, there were three orange Igloo jugs set at the front of the class. One-by-one students were invited to come up and taste test the water out of each jug. Two of the unmarked jugs were filled with different brands of bottled water. The third was full of MVWD water right out of the tap. Students were asked to guess which was which. There was a wide variety of responses from the kids. But it quickly became clear that it was not easy for students to tell which one was the tap water.
All of the students received Water Week giveaways from MVWD, including pencils, rulers and other supplies. There was also a prize drawing to win a special Moapa Valley Water District water flask for one student from each school.
