The Innerworkings of "Away"

Thanks to you, our blog has now reached over 2,100 hits and we haven't even left yet! That's amazing! Thank you all!

Things are winding down for the school year here. I've just scheduled the end of the year testing for our youngest. This is our first year homeschooling, so we're still figuring things out. Which test is best? Which tests are approved for our state? How are they administered? Fortunately we have a bunch of experienced families who are happy to give advice and point us in the right direction.

This past week, our youngest and I took a tour of one of the larger wastewater treatment facilities in the area, the South Treatment Plant in Renton, WA.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/About/System/South.aspx

It didn't smell half as bad as I thought it might and they have a garden next door called "Waterworks Garden". It features trails, native plants, wildlife, and public art. I love the idea of something unpleasant working to make something beautiful.

Here's a picture of our youngest by a pond at the treatment facility. He really liked the art pieces.

My husband and I saw "The Blue Man Group" once in Las Vegas. In part of their slideshow they said that all trash, sewage, and everything else unpleasant, goes to the same place once it leaves our sight- "Away".... which is all too true in most peoples minds. Sad. Well, my son and I were able explore part of "Away" and it was really cool. The tour guide started with a presentation of how our sewage system works and how different countries around the world handle their sanitation. The kids were given different kinds of "trash" and they sorted it according to how it would be disposed of. Did you know that we (North America) have a pretty good handle on how to treat our human waste, but all the chemicals and misc. items that go down the gutters in the street just flow directly out to the oceans? It's scary how much pollution we really create. It's time to find a solution for our pollution!

I won't go into the gritty details of what we saw and how the sewage is separated and treated, but it is really interesting. I'll just give you a few main points:
- City water is only in your house for seconds before moving on.

- Because there is so much water, sewage is diluted and doesn't even remotely resemble what you see in your toilet when it arrives at the treatment plant.

- The sewage is filtered and then goes through three or four stages before it reaches the point where it is treated and then flows out into the ocean to be naturally recycled (evaporation, rain, etc.)

The infrastructure of a system like this is a marvel. Really!  There are a ton of jobs that make this facility run effectively.

Our youngest was especially impressed with the control room and the lab.

After the tour, we visited the local big brand store for trailer organization items. I've spent several days planning the most efficient way to pack our trailer. I'd like to bring everything we need without the worry of tripping over obstacles or the fear of items being thrown everywhere while in transit. Once I get everything in place, I'll show you some of the tricks I've employed.

Our daughter was considering writing this weeks post, but life got in the way. You'll hear from her soon, I promise.  In the meantime, 35 days to go....

- Jen