Eight Hillsdale High School students presented to the Hillsdale City Council on how the city’s water filtration system removes contaminants and advocated for smart resource consumption at the council meeting Monday.
The students, members of Hillsdale High School’s Envirothon team, brought two models complete with running water to educate the public on how the city makes groundwater safe for residents to drink.
“Like many communities, Hillsdale uses groundwater as a main source of drinking water and protecting this groundwater is not only important from a legislative level, but also at a personal level in our own homes,” Hillsdale High School student Sam McArthur said. “The first step in protecting our groundwater and drinking water is knowing how it all works.”
Students filled the models with colored dyes to simulate potential contaminants and then used a smaller version of the city’s hydrologic pump to make the water clear again. The models were funded through a grant by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for the city’s Wellhead Protection Program which, in addition to educating the public, focuses on safeguarding the city’s water supply.
Three days prior to the students presentation to the city council, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a relief bill for the residents of Flint, Michigan, months after toxic levels of lead were found in Flint’s water supply.
Hillsdale High School science teacher Chip Patterson said this public presentation was not only a benefit for the students to develop confidence in public speaking, but also a way to educate public officials and hopefully influence their choices.
“Governmental officials, policy makers and the like should be especially scientifically astute, as their decisions can have profound effects on the greater whole of society,” Patterson said. “The Flint crisis is a prime example of how a greater understanding of the hydrologic process and distribution may have averted this crisis.”
Councilman Bruce Sharp complimented Patterson and his students on their presentation and said that their demonstration was an asset to the community.
“The timing of this, especially because of what is going on in Flint, is very helpful,” Sharp said. “It is a good visual thing to understand. This is a great way to assure the people and understand something important in a way they normally couldn’t.”
Hillsdale City Manager David Mackie asked for Board of Public Utilities Director Mike Barber to speak to the public about Hillsdale’s drinking water and assure them of its quality during the council’s closing remarks
“With the disaster in Flint, I just wanted to read a short statement from the utility to reassure the public,” Barber said. “The Hillsdale BPU’s water meets all state and federal standards for both appearance and safety. We are dedicated to providing safe drinking water for our residents.”