Kids Receive The Water Treatment

6 April 2006

Twenty-seven pupils and teachers from Wilton Primary School, Lazenby, recently visited the Wilton International Site as guests of Sembcorp Utilities UK and Dow. This was one of a series of visits planned throughout the year, as part of the Children Challenging Industry Initiative (CCI).

This initiative gives children an opportunity to see what really happens on an industrial site and also to see how the science they learn in the classroom is actually employed in a ‘real life’ situation by context-led lessons and specially tailored visits to industry.

The young visitors were given a warm welcome and some safety information at the Wilton International Information Centre, prior to dividing into two groups to go onto the site.

Half the party visited a control room at Dow, whilst the remainder went to the Sembcorp Utilities UK Water Treatment plant. Here they were shown an interactive presentation on how water is brought on to the site and the various processes it has to go through before being used by industry.

Delighted to be dressed in protective hats, coats, gloves and glasses the children then went on to take part in some simple laboratory testing of water, followed by a tour of the actual Water Treatment Plant.

Nicky Waller, the Advisory Teacher for CCI, who worked with the children in the classroom on the topic of ‘Water’ and also accompanied them on the site visit said:

“The children and teachers thoroughly enjoyed their visit – it is wonderful that they can have a first hand insight into the people and work that takes place at Sembcorp.

This is an extremely rewarding way to teach science and these visits also give the children an opportunity to re-evaluate some preconceptions about industry that they may have – many of them post-site visit say it is the kind of place they would like to work”.