LPS third grade was treated to a special presentation by a representative of BGUA (Bergen County Utilities Association). This company helps recycle and filter the water we use every day. It was so interesting to learn about the water cycle process and all the different ways to conserve water.

As occupants on planet earth, everyone shares the water. After it rains, the water evaporates and rises to the clouds. When the clouds fill up and get heavy, the water comes back down. People use water all the time, every day. After the water goes down the faucet, bathtub and toilet, it travels down the pipes to the BGUA plant. There are special machines there that take all the garbage out of the water. The water is then transferred six times to pools that cleanse the water. Subsequently, the water is sent to the lab which is on the property. The water is checked through the lens of microscopes. They look out for microorganisms—bacteria eating bacteria which look like little worms. Finally, the water is released to the Hackensack River in a much cleaner state than it was received. There are companies that further cleanse and filter water.

Considering all the work that goes into recycling water, it’s important to do whatever possible not to waste any water. This would include closing the faucet while scrubbing hands with soap, flushing only once or twice, taking short showers and filling up the bathtub only halfway.

The third graders received all this new information very well. They asked and answered many questions on the topic and added some interesting comments and observations of their own. Now it’s time to put it all into action and conserve water.