The Wet Treatment, Part 1

The Wet Treatment, Part 1

The Wet Treatment, Part 1
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 7 to 9
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.77

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		coffeegrounds, hydrologists, wastewater, wastewater-treatment, sewage, organic, flushing, runoff, pumped, reading, replenish, material, goal, destination, daily, impact
	content words:		In The Wet Treatment

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The Wet Treatment, Part 1
By Trista L. Pollard

¹     You have just spent a normal weekend day at home. In between watching television and reading, you have listened to the everyday sounds of your house: the dishwasher rinsing your dishes; the washing machine cleaning your clothes; and your family flushing your toilet a few times. All three activities have one thing in common- water! Have you ever wondered what happens to the water after it leaves your house? The thought may not have crossed your mind; however, scientists, like hydrologists who study our water supply, think about the destination of our wastewater daily.

²     Wastewater is the used water that comes from our homes, our businesses, and our industries. You may not want to hear this, but this water contains human waste, food scraps, oils, soaps, and other chemicals. (When I said it was used, I meant used!) If you think about it, the water from your sinks, showers, and bathtubs also fall into this category. Storm runoff is also part of wastewater. Water flowing down the street is not clean. In fact, the rain that flows down the streets and sidewalks can contain harmful substances like chemicals that wash off buildings, roads, and parking lots. These chemicals can eventually make their way into our rivers and lakes. Now that you know the truth about used water, you can understand why we need to have our wastewater treated or cleaned before it goes back into our environment.

³     It is important for all humans and animals to have fresh clean drinking water. The animals and plants that live in our bodies of water rely on clean water for their oxygen and survival. Polluted water can have a huge impact on our fishing industries around the world. Our animal habitats on land also depend on a clean water supply. When our water is not treated properly, many species of animals and habitats around bodies of water are threatened. Water can also carry diseases and harmful bacteria if left untreated. So, what does it take to clean our water?

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