Classroom-ready resources support learning about Metro Vancouver’s drinking water sources, water treatment, water testing, and action for water conservation.
Overview
Water is essential for humans – and all living things – to function and thrive. Metro Vancouver is responsible for supplying residents with their high quality drinking water every day.
With three natural watersheds and some of the world’s most innovative water treatment facilities, Metro Vancouver is a world leader in sustainable water systems. However, even with our modern technology, the single most important way to ensure our water remains high quality and abundant is through education.
Our drinking water comes from three mountain watersheds
Watersheds are areas where streams and rivers drain to the same body of water. The three watersheds – Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam – together cover an area 150 times the size of Stanley Park. The watersheds are closed to public access, protecting our water supply from human access, urban development, and human-caused disturbances such as pollution or forest fires. Rain and melting snow flow downhill through the watersheds’ creeks and streams into large collection lakes called reservoirs. Metro Vancouver’s three main reservoirs store this water for drinking water supply.
Metro Vancouver uses a system of supply watersheds and reservoirs, dams, treatment facilities, pump stations and water mains to connect to municipal systems throughout the region, which deliver water to your tap.
| Water System Overview | https://metrovancouver.org/school-programs/Documents/k-12-system-overview-water.pdf, Water System Overview | Water System Overview | |
Water treatment at the Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant
The Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant is the largest drinking water filtration plant in Canada. Operating since 2009, it can treat up to 1.8 billion litres per day. Water from both the Capilano and Seymour Reservoirs is treated at the Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant.
Explore the science of water treatment, and the people and skills that it takes to operate the facility in this video produced for grades 5-12 students as an alternative to an in-person field trip.
Curriculum connections
Water is a key conceptual focus throughout the big ideas and core content of BC’s K-12 curriculum, from simpler explorations at the Elementary level to more complex inquiries during the Secondary years.
| Download K-12 Curriculum Map – Water | https://metrovancouver.org/school-programs/Documents/k-12-curriculum-connections-water.pdf, Download K-12 Curriculum Map – Water | Download K-12 Curriculum Map – Water | |
Inquiry spark activities
These flexible activities aim to spark curiosity, develop competencies and promote inquiry.
How do we use water in Metro Vancouver?
Metro Vancouver provides high-quality drinking water through its member municipalities for residents of the Metro Vancouver region. Metro Vancouver residents use a lot of water every day. This inquiry spark activity aims to generate curiosity about how we use water and how we can use it more water wisely.
| Download Inquiry Spark 1 | https://metrovancouver.org/school-programs/Documents/k-12-inquiry-spark-water-how.pdf, Download Inquiry Spark 1 | Download Inquiry Spark 1 | |
| Télécharger Inquiry Spark 1 en français | https://metrovancouver.org/school-programs/Documents/k-12-inquiry-spark-water-how-fr.pdf, Télécharger Inquiry Spark 1 en français | Télécharger Inquiry Spark 1 en français | |
| Do this activity online! | https://metrovancouver.org/includes/sparkactivity/water/index.html#/, Do this activity online! | Do this activity online! | |
Where does my water come from?
Metro Vancouver uses a system of supply watersheds and reservoirs, dams, treatment facilities, pump stations and water mains to connect to municipal systems throughout the region, which deliver water to your tap. Follow the flow of water from the watershed to your home and your school. What parts of the system did your water travel through? What other questions do you have about our water supply system?
| Download Inquiry Spark 2 | https://metrovancouver.org/school-programs/Documents/k-12-inquiry-spark-water-where.pdf, Download Inquiry Spark 2 | Download Inquiry Spark 2 | |
Activity ideas
These brief activity ideas can be adapted into more fulsome activities to guide learner inquiry.
| Water Cycle Collage | Water Cycle Collage | <div class="ExternalClassD3AC7ECA4A134A9EBD81663A9119FC1F"><p><strong>Core Question:</strong> What does the water cycle look like?</p><p><strong>Overview:</strong> Gather a variety of magazines and cut out pictures that help explain the water cycle. Combine your selected magazine pictures and add drawings to make a water cycle collage. How does your collage represent the water cycle?</p></div> |
| Condensation Fascination | Condensation Fascination | <div class="ExternalClassF210D6825B4D4FF1B2B0475AF2B0064E"><p><strong>Core Question: </strong>How does water move between liquid and gaseous states?</p><p><strong>Overview:</strong> Place an empty cup in the middle of a bowl. Pour water into the bowl until it surrounds the cup, but not so much that the cup floats. Cover and seal the bowl loosely with clear plastic wrap, using tape if necessary. Place a small rock on the plastic wrap directly above the cup. Set the bowl in the sun. Wait and observe. What happened? What does this tell you about water and its ability to change state?</p></div> |
| A Drop in the Bucket | A Drop in the Bucket | <div class="ExternalClassAAA03F34049D46C49F72ABB251165ACC"><p><strong>Core Question:</strong> How much fresh water is actually available for human consumption on Earth?</p>
<p><strong>Overview:</strong> Start with a liter (1000ml) of water in a 1000ml beaker or other glass container - this represents all the water on Earth. Pour 30 ml of the water into a 100ml graduated cylinder (or other glass container) - this amount (3% of all water) represents Earth’s fresh water. Pour salt into the remaining 97% left in the 1000ml container to simulate the world’s oceans (that are unfit to drink). Pour 6 ml of fresh water into a small dish to represent non-frozen fresh water (leaving 24ml representing the frozen fresh water of polar regions in the 100ml container). Use an eye dropper to remove a single drop from this small dish - this is the amount of fresh water that is actually available and fit for human consumption. Release this small drop into a bucket, listening carefully for the sound it makes. Discuss the results of the demonstration. Why is it important to carefully manage this precious drop of water?
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| That was Then, This is Now | That was Then, This is Now | <div class="ExternalClass9B158C2D6DE14EA8A9BFF907B0DD3717"><p><strong>Core Question:</strong> How have water supply practices and systems changed over time?</p><p><strong>Overview:</strong> Choose a period in history that interests you and imagine that you are living in that time. Conduct research on the following questions: How was drinking water supplied then? How was it treated? How did the people bathe, clean their clothes or wash dishes? How did they get hot water? Where did their wastewater go? Make a chart headed "Then" and "Now" and record similarities and differences in water supply systems from the past to modern day. Compare the ideas you collected with others. What questions do you have now?</p>
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| Everything is Made with Water | Everything is Made with Water | <div class="ExternalClass85051FE063F44EE69A54B9FF81421B20"><p><strong>Core Question:</strong> How much water does it take to produce commonly used products?</p><p><strong>Overview:</strong> There is almost nothing that can be manufactured without the use of water. Here are some examples of how much water is used to produce goods: </p><table class="uk-table uk-table-small uk-table-divider uk-table-hover mv-border-cobalt mv-table-heading-cobalt mv-table-border uk-table-striped"><thead><tr><th>Goods</th><th>Litres of water used</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>One can of fruit or vegetables </td><td>35</td></tr><tr><td>One glass of a cola soft drink </td><td>38</td></tr><tr><td>One glass of a cola soft drink </td><td>99</td></tr><tr><td>A hamburger, fries and soft drink </td><td>5320</td></tr><tr><td>One car</td><td>148,000</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Choose an item and research the resources and processes needed to produce it. List all the times water would be used to obtain and process the raw materials, and then manufacture and deliver the items. How could you be more thoughtful about the water and products you use?
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| Making Every Drop Count | Making Every Drop Count | <div class="ExternalClassE8DE28BA5B4240DEA23B3BEB4829DB7A"><p><strong>Core Question:</strong> How much water does it take to produce commonly used products?</p><p><strong>Overview:</strong> Keep track of the water you use over a one-week period using a chart (or a journal) to record your water use and the estimated number of litres used. At the end of the week, consider: Do you think they used water wisely? Did you ever waste water? Research water conservation strategies and make a list of actions you can do to conserve water at home and at school. How could you be more water wise?
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Learn more
Where can you go to learn more about water in Metro Vancouver?