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Aquifer Watch Program The Aquifer Watch program links junior high/middle school students with a well near their school that is appropriate for water quality sampling. Students will visit their "adopted well" four times during the school year. Prior to the well visit a staff member will visit the class to provide hands-on training on how to use the various pieces of equipment. During the well visit, District staff will accompany the group and assist with e-line measurements for the aquifer level, water sampling, and on-site chemical analysis using titrators and spectrophotometers. Students will test their groundwater samples for temperature, pH, conductivity, alkalinity, chlorides, and nitrates. In addition to time spent in the field collecting water samples and measuring water levels, District staff will work with the teachers and students to help them learn more about their "adopted" well. Besides sampling and analyzing groundwater, students will have the opportunity to explore a cave. This experience should begin to connect the abstract concepts of groundwater to a real world experience they have had. Most Aquifer Watch students live in the City of Austin, or other communities within the District, and have never been in a "wild" cave, seen a well, or thought about the various uses of groundwater. District staff hope to encourage communication between students throughout the region that overlays this segment of the aquifer. By posting the students' sampling results on the District's website, the students may view and compare other schools' results with their own. Plus, besides a final and more in-depth caving trip, there will be an end of the year presentation where all Aquifer Watch students share their results and Aquifer Watch experiences with their parents, teachers, school officials, and other guests. In addition to learning about water quality and quantity, the District hopes students will develop an appreciation for how important regional water issues are, in Central Texas and elsewhere. If you have any questions or would like more information, please click here. For a teacher flyer, please click here. |
