Clicking for bytes of water knowledge

20/12/2005

Thousands of school children across the region are soaking up water knowledge at the click of a mouse.

More than 350 schools from Berwick down to North Yorkshire and across to the Pennines are already using Northumbrian Water’s ‘H2O For You’ education CD-ROM to learn about life’s vital ingredient – water.

The free interactive and fun CD-ROM, which is aimed at children aged seven to eleven and was only made available to schools from the start of this term, uses cartoon characters and quizzes to help teachers and pupils tap into the world of water.

The flow of topics covered include:
What is water and the water cycle - the water we use today is the same water used by Romans and dinosaurs.
Water treatment - Northumbrian Water has more than 16,000 km of water mains, roughly the same distance as a return trip from the North East to Australia.
Being waterwise - although the North East has an abundant supply of water it is important that everyone uses it wisely – it is a precious resource.  On average a person in the region uses 148 litres of water every day – the equivalent to 260 pints.  Simple steps like turning the tap off while brushing teeth will save up to 14 litres of water.
Sewage and the different stages of sewage treatment - once the toilet is flushed Northumbrian Water ensures wastewater is treated and returned safely back into the environment through a network of more than 15,000 km of sewers and hundreds of sewage treatment works.  About one billion litres of wastewater is treated by Northumbrian Water every day!
Water for health – it is recommended that everyone should drink at least eight glasses of tap water every day for a healthier life.
WaterAid – Northumbrian Water’s adopted international charity – astonishingly billions of people in Africa and Asia do not have safe, clean drinking water or sanitation.  WaterAid is working continuously to change this.

Pam Lovell, Northumbrian Water’s education advisor, said:  “The feedback we have had from schools is excellent – teachers tell us it keeps children engaged and interested. 

“Everyone is part of the water cycle and the CD-ROM is a valuable teaching aid which gets over the message about this precious resource we all rely so heavily upon.”

Schools who would like a copy of the CD-ROM should email their contact details to education@nwl.co.uk.

For further information please contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.