Technology
English
Wastewater rides the sewer to the treatment plant
Follow used handwashing water from a household drain into the sewer network and a treatment plant, then onward to a river that may reach the sea. This lively children’s song introduces screens, settling particles, helpful microorganisms, and the important fact that treated wastewater is not drinking water.
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Text from the recording’s subtitles.
Song lyrics
Where did the water from my hands go?
Foam and one crumb slip into the drain
Soap and a little dirt ride with the flow
Used water has become wastewater
A narrow pipe runs underneath the floor
Then joins the sewer network down below
Wastewater rides the sewer to the treatment plant
Not straight to the river or the sea
Once treated, a river may carry it to sea
A screen catches the crumb and larger scraps
Sand and heavier grains settle down
Bubbles of air rise inside the tank
Microorganisms get to work
They help remove some pollution from the flow
Wastewater rides the sewer to the treatment plant
Not straight to the river or the sea
Once treated, a river may carry it to sea
The water is cleaner, but not safe to drink
It may enter a winding river
The current carries it across the land to sea
Wastewater rides the sewer to the treatment plant
Not straight to the river or the sea
Once treated, a river may carry it to sea
A long, important trip starts at the drain
One little swirl, then on toward the sea