On September 8, 2017 the Athens Clarke County Stormwater Department hosted their 8th Annual Water Festival in Athens.  The theme of this years festival was “Be a Sewer Hero”.  The UGA Water Resources Team participated and managed a station we called “Flushable or Non-Flushable”.  At the station we discussed with over 200 kids and their what items could be flushed and what items should not be flushed down the toilet.  To make this a little more fun, we (Andy Dyer, UGA Northeast District and Gary Hawkins) had a game where the kids (and adults) had to put different items on the “Flushable” or “Non-Flushable” board.  Here is a picture of the boards and Andy working with a kid and his mom to put the items in the correct slots.

 

After they learned what should be flushed and what should not be flushed, we had a mini-working septic system (with a trick spray toilet) to show them how the thing that receives the waste works.  Dr. David Radcliffe, UGA Crop and Soil Science, showed the kids (and adults) how the septic system works and then with the trick toilet (squirts water when the lid is lifted) showed the kids what might happen if the plumbing gets clogged with non-flushables.