1799 1801
1799
1815
The History of Wa te r
1880 1900
The Schuylkill River was clean and pure.......by 1880 pollution killed all fish.......We finally started to
The Philadelphia Water Department began.
Hear Ye!
Hear Ye! Philadelphia had one of the first water systems in the USA!
1801 The Water Department completed the City’s first water system, consisting of two pumping stations: one located on the Schuylkill River at Chestnut St.; the second (above) located in Centre Square, exactly where City Hall stands today. Untreated water was pumped from the Schuylkill to the dome at the top of the Centre Square station. The water then flowed by gravity to the homes and businesses of the City, today called “Old City.”
1815 The Fairmount Water Works was built, located right on the Schuylkill River. This site was chosen because it was the highest point close to Philadelphia on the Schuylkill. It used the river’s flowing power to turn giant water wheels which powered the pumps.
Nobody will notice if I dump my trash into the RIVER!
I get a CHARGE out of our new water system!
Are the FISH biting? They sure are!
1880s
Although
YUCK!
1900s The pollution in the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers got so bad that the Philadelphia Water Department built a system of water treatment plants. At that time, it was the largest water filtration system in the world! Beginning in 1909, the treatment plants cleaned all of the river water before we used it.
Fairmount Park had been created upstream of the Water Works to protect the City’s water supply, industry and cities farther upstream on the Schuylkill were dumping chemicals and waste into the river which flowed down into the Philadelphia water supply…people and fish were getting sick and dying!
What’s the difference between the land and the river?
The land is DIRTY and the river is TIDE-Y.
U se in Philadelph i a
The FUTURE 1957
clean our wastewater and the fish and wildlife returned!
YUCK!
This water tastes worse than LIMA BEANS!
1957 Primary Treatment began on all Philadelphia wastewater. That means that we cleaned the water that we used before we put it back into the rivers. This got rid of about half of the harmful pollutants in the wastewater.
Whatcha Doing?
1900–1950s
Sadly, because we now had a system for cleaning the water before we used it, we turned our backs on the rivers and pollution got worse. No fish lived in the Schuylkill or Delaware Rivers from Trenton down to Wilmington! The Water Department cleaned the water so it was safe to drink, but it didn’t taste very good!
1984 TODAY
We are glad we can SWIM in the DELAWARE RIVER again!
TODAY
We need your help to protect our watersheds in the 21st Century and beyond!
I’m cleaning my water before I pour it back into the river.
Huh?
1984 Secondary Treatment of wastewater began. This gets rid of 95% of the pollutants in the wastewater. As a result, fish, birds, and other wildlife have returned to both rivers. We’ve learned from our mistakes. We now know that we need to keep the water supply clean before and after we use it! So am I !
2
The FAIRMOUNT WATER WORKS INTERPRETIVE CENTER is open. It is an exciting, watershed education center complete with interactive exhibits, a classroom, theater, and more! Education is the key to keeping our drinking water clean in the future!
Wow!
I never knew that learning about water could be so much
Wise Water Use is Important!
Yo Kids!
We use water everyday, in so many ways!
When we pollute the land we pollute our water. Rain washes the trash and pollutants on the ground into our local streams or into storm drains, which lead to our drinking water supply! Dive into this game and learn about the many uses of water, both good and bad, and discover why water is so important!
1.
2.
3.
The Natural Water Cycle
PRECIPITATION
Water vapor in clouds cools and forms water particles, which fall to the ground as snow or rain.
SURFACE RUNOFF
Rainfall that can’t sink into the ground by infiltration flows over the ground into streams.
INFILTRATION
Some rainfall sinks into the ground and eventually “percolates” down to the groundwater.
Water Is ConstantlyRECYCLED
TRANSPIRATION
Plants and trees absorb water from the soil through their roots and “breathe” it back into the air as water vapor.
EVAPORATION
Water on the surface of the ground or in lakes and rivers is warmed by the sun, which creates water vapor, which rises into the air and forms clouds.
GROUNDWATER
Water is stored in the gaps of porous rock, gravel, or sand and slowly flows into streams.
The SAME water that the dinosaurs drank...is the SAME water that we drink today. Water is constantly recycled and reused over and over again!
All of Philadelphia’s drinking water comes from either the Delaware or Schuylkill River!
Philadelphia’s Water Use Cycle
Follow me through an A-MAZE-ING journey and trace the route of your drinking water...
START GARDEN
WATER TREATMENT PLANT
WATER STORAGE TANK
2
Stored in a reservoir or water tower, drinking water is forced by gravity into a water main (large pipe) that leads to your home.
Water is pumped to a drinking water treatment plant, where it is cleaned for drinking.
1 4 3
Kitchen
Incoming water is kept SEPARATE from outgoing water in your home.
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL PLANT
Wastewater is treated and the clean water is returned to the river. Some of the waste removed from the water is composted and used as fertilizer.
YOUR HOME SEWER WATER MAIN
We pollute water we use in our homes. The dirty water goes directly into the sewer.
The Delaware Estuary
Each WATERSHED on the next page is a different color. See if you can locate the watershed that YOU live in!
ESTUARY?
Q. What exactly is the DELAWARE
A. The Delaware Estuary includes parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, stretching approximately 133 miles from the falls of the Delaware River near Trenton, NJ to the mouth of the Delaware Bay between Cape May, NJ and Cape Henlopen, DE.
Estuaries are bodies of water where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water flowing off the land. They are very important feeding grounds, habitats (homes), and nurseries for fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and tons of other creatures. The wetlands in the Estuary clean out many pollutants from the water and help protect us from floods.
Shaded areas within dashed line represent the Delaware Estuary
Q. What’s a WATERSHED?
A. The WATERSHED of a stream is all of the land that sheds water into that stream when it rains. When rain falls on land, it runs off to the nearest stream that is downhill.
If
What’s My Watershed Address?
If you live near Academy Road, Woodhaven Road, or the Northeast Philly Airport, you live in the POQUESSING CREEK WATERSHED
If you live near University of PA, the Airport, or west of Broad Street in South Philly, Center City, or North Philly, you live in one of the SCHUYLKILL RIVER UNDERGROUND TRIBUTARIES’ WATERSHEDS
If you live near Cobbs Creek, you
If you live east of Broad Street in South Philly, Center City, or North Philly, or in Port Richmond or Kensington, you live in one of the DELAWARE RIVER UNDERGROUND TRIBUTARIES’ WATERSHEDS
The TACONY CREEK WATERSHED is part of the FRANKFORD CREEK WATERSHED My Home Address is: My Watershed Address is:
WISSINOMING CREEK
WATERSHED If you live in Wissinoming, Tacony, Mayfair, or Lawncrest, you live in the WISSINOMING CREEK WATERSHED If you live in Rhawnhurst, Fox Chase, or Bustleton, you live in the PENNYPACK CREEK WATERSHED
Did you know that there are lots of species that share the watershed of the Delaware Estuary with us?
In the list below are some fish that swim in our rivers, birds that fly in our air, and animals that inhabit our land. The rivers, air, parkland, city and residential areas near Philadelphia are the habitats that these creatures inhabit.
Can you color in all of these birds, fish and animals hidden in the picture?
Living Species and Habitat
Bat Blue Crab
Largemouth Bass
Mole Opossum River Otter Rabbit Raccoon Red Fox
Red-tailed Hawk
Robin Salamander Gull Shad Snail
Snapping Turtle White-tailed Deer
Delaware River
Wetland
Residential
How Can You and Your Family Protect Our Water?
1
Keep litter off the ground. This includes candy wrappers, fast food containers, and other waste. Put trash in trash cans and clean-up street litter so it doesn’t get washed or blown into the storm drains.
What has 4 wheels and flies?
A Trash Truck!
Yo Kids!
Protecting our water supply isn’t just an adult thing. It’s up to each and every one of us! Storm drains in the street (also called sewer inlets) are for water only. Philadelphia’s rain and melting snow pick up all kinds of pollutants as they wash over our sidewalks, streets, parking lots, and yards. All of this dirty water flows into storm drains, many of which empty into local creeks and the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. You can help make our waterways safer for drinking, fishing, and boating by keeping pollution out of Philadelphia’s storm drains.
2 TIP
Ask your parents to service the car regularly to prevent oils and other fluids from leaking onto the pavement and being washed down the storm drains. People should always recycle used motor oil and antifreeze. Cars should be moved for street sweepings to allow for the removal of dirt and debris before it washes down the storm drains.
3 TIP
Help your parents expand your garden, and cut down on the size of your lawn. Gardens generally soak up more rainfall than lawns. Use native plants, mulch, and plant densely to decrease the need for water, reduce erosion, and discourage weeds.
Finding half a worm!
4 TIP
You can help protect our drinking water by cleaning up after your dog. Place dog waste in the toilet or a trash can, not in the street or down the storm drain. Dog waste introduces diseasecausing bacteria into our water supply.
Arf!
Do you know what you get when you cross a Giraffe with German Shepherd? A watchdog for the fifth floor.
When is a car not a car?
5 TIP
When it turns into a driveway.
What's worse than finding a worm in your tomato?
Let your grass grow! Taller grass chokes weeds, so ask your parents to set the mower height at 3 inches, water your lawn thoroughly but infrequently to encourage deep root systems, use natural organic fertilizer if you do fertilize (which will release nutrients more slowly than chemical fertilizers), and avoid applying fertilizer before heavy rain.
Why did the guy run a lawnmower through his garden?
Because he wanted to make a chopped salad in a hurry.
6 TIP
Help your parents compost leaves and grass clippings. Next year you will have rich compost that can be used to enhance your garden soil. If you don’t compost, carefully bag your leaves and grass clippings. Leaves and grass clippings placed in the street unbagged will clog storm drains.
Did you hear the joke about the compost pile? Yeah, but it stinks!
See if you can find the red highlighted words from these 6 tips, either forward, backwards, up, down, or diagonally.
Fishin’ for Words
Clean Water Crossword
Water
and Ends with You!
ACROSS
2. City of Brotherly Love
8. Playing card
Jack, Queen, King,
9. More than one person, many
11. Letters that stand for Philadelphia Water Department
13. Not down but
14. Letters that stand for National Basketball Association
15. North, south, west or
17. City Hall is at the intersection of Street and Market Street in Phila.
19. When you’re hungry, you
20. Water vapor in the sky forms a
22. Delaware or Schuylkill
24. Red means stop, green means
25. I’ve got my on you
26. In math you can or subtract
29. Actor, Hanks or Cruise
32. Sound you make when you laugh
34. Comedian, Sandler
35. The Fairmount Water Works is on this river
38. Glasses can help you better
39. Slimy gunk
40. When you are by yourself
41. Fairmount where the Water Dept. used to pump water to the city
42. What you write with
DOWN
1. Pigeons, hawks, and eagles
3. Birthday to you!
4. Frozen water
5. DaVinci or DiCaprio
6. Penn’s Landing is on this river
7. A tube in your house that water flows through
10. Letters that stand for peanut butter
12. What we drink and bathe in
16. King , ancient Egyptian mummy
17. Another word for insect
18. Letters that stand for “Do It Yourself”
21. An arm and a
23. Animal Doctor
27. Used water goes down the
28. Elected person in charge of the city
30. Places where people go shopping
31. Atlantic or Pacific
32. Really big
33. Letters that stand for okay
35. Wastewater goes into the
36. Not high, but
37. Large body of fresh water
Academy of Natural Sciences www.urbanrivers.org
Awbury Arboretum www.awbury.org
Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center www.cobbscreekcenter.org
Darby Creek Valley Association www.dcva.org
Delaware Riverkeeper Network www.delawareriverkeeper.org
Delaware River Basin Commission www.state.nj.us/drbc/edweb/edweb.htm
Delaware Valley Earth Force www.earthforce.org/delval
Fairmount Park www.phila.gov/fairpark
Fairmount Park NLREEP www.nlreep.org
Friends of Pennypack Park www.balford.com/fopp
Friends of Poquessing Watershed www.friendsofpoquessing.org
Friends of the Wissahickon www.fow.org
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society/ Philadelphia Green www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection www.dep.state.pa.us
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission www.state.pa.us/fish
Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy www.perkiomenwatershed.org
Philadelphia Parks Alliance www.philaparks.org
RiverBASE www.Riverbase.org
Schuylkill Action Network www.SchuylkillWaters.org
Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education www.schuylkillcenter.org
Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area www.schuylkillriver.org
Stroud Water Research Center www.stroudcenter.org
Thank You Delaware Bay www.tydb.org
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water www.epa.gov/ow
HOURS & ADMISSION:
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Closed on City holidays
Admission is free.
For general information on the Interpretive Center, call 215-685-0723, or visit our website at www.fairmountwaterworks.org
The Interpretive Center is ADA Accessible.
The Fairmount Water Works , where waterwheels, turbines and pumps once supplied the city with water, now has a new life as an exciting, watershed education center, complete with interactive exhibits, a classroom, theater and more!
Visit the Fairmount Water Works Inte r pretive Center! The Delaware River Basin’s Watershed Education Center
DIRECTIONS:
From I-95, take 676 West. Pass the Broad Street exit and stay right for the “Museums” exit. At the top of the ramp, turn right onto 22nd Street. Then turn left onto Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Stay right and exit right onto Kelly Drive at the Art Museum. At the 2nd light, Water Works Drive is on the left. There is limited parking on Water Works Drive, or turn right onto Sedgely for additional parking. (See map at left.)
From the Schuylkill, take I-676/US 30/Central Philadelphia. Take a right onto the “Museums” exit/ Benjamin Franklin Parkway. On the ramp, keep left to stay on ramp. Turn left onto 22nd Street, then bear left onto Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Stay right onto Kelly Drive. At the 2nd light, Water Works Drive is on the left. There is limited parking on Water Works Drive, or turn right onto Sedgely for additional parking. (See map at left.)
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
Contact www.septa.org or call 215-580-7800 for information on the 38 bus.
Amtrak: 1-800-USA-RAIL
PHLASH: www.gophila.com/phlash/