What are the effects on the environment when we use our wastewater systems? Caitlin McColl Alpha Secondary Floor Location: J108V

Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
My hypothesis for my science fair is if everyone in Metro Vancouver uses the bathroom at a minimum of 3-4 times a day in household of at least 2 people, and using the dishwater/kitchen sink, having a bath/shower once a day, then I think we've caused some major damage to the environment. I want to discover what kind of damage we do to the environment through our wastewater systems and if it's a safe method to treat wastewater.

Methodology:
I'll test my hypothesis through a replica of what goes on in a wastewater treatment plant in order to
• gain an idea of what processes are used in a treatment plant
• know the chemicals used
• know how it's hazardous

The materials required for this experiment are:
• 1 Liter beaker
• Shish kabob stick
• Flocculent (chemical)
• Coagulant (chemical)
• Wastewater (dirt and tap water)
• pH motor

Steps used to perform the experiment are:
1. Pour tap water and soil in beaker to 900-1000mL and stir to create "wastewater" sample.
2. Use the pH motor to test pH of the water. The recommended pH for this experiment is 7.5-8.5.
3. Add coagulant to correct the pH. Dip tip of the shish kabob stick into the coagulant removing only a few drops, (you only need 100ppm)
4. Add the flocculent to wastewater, binding the TSS together to create denser groups, now pulled down to bottom of the beaker because of gravity. Apply a few drops and stir the mixture around.
5. The water's now clear at the top, with all of the TSS on the bottom.

Analysis of Data:
We can cause a lot of damage because of:
• amount of water we use in our homes and public places
• chemicals we use to treat wastewater
• where we release the treated wastewater
• if some wastewater treatment plants release untreated wastewater
• amount of untreated wastewater released into the environment.

Summary and Conclusion:
My result was that the untreated wastewater we produce poses a serious threat to our environment if released because it increases the BOD level and doesn’t offer enough oxygen for all marine life. The wastewater treatment plants are not allowed to legally release wastewater untreated into the environment, so the marine environments are monitored by environmentalists in case. If the BOD increases marine life can die and we want to do everything to prevent that.

Application:
My research will raise the awareness of people who aren't aware of what happens to the water we use everyday and how it can effect the environment if it's not treated. Also giving them an idea of how much we use everyday. This is a global threat, but we can start first by being aware of local water problems and continue to expand our knowledge of this problem.