Local students get a closeup view of how Tulsa treats its water

The city of Tulsa is taking on the poultry industry saying poultry farms in Mayes and Delaware counties are dumping chicken farms are contaminating Tulsa's water supply. <br><br>News on Six reporter

Tuesday, April 23rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The city of Tulsa is taking on the poultry industry saying poultry farms in Mayes and Delaware counties are dumping chicken farms are contaminating Tulsa's water supply.

News on Six reporter Patrina Adger visited the Mohawk Water Treatment Plant along with a group of sixth graders from Catoosa as they got a first hand look at how wastes from and around their home can pollute their drinking water.

It's Water 101 for these students from Catoosa's Wells Middle School. They're learning the different aspects of Tulsa's water system. " What does everyone do during halftime? A bathroom break." In an exercise, students compare the overflow of wastewater during a regular day compared to Super Bowl halftime, when water usage is significantly higher. "If there's too much overflow it can't go into the waste water treatment plant what happens is that it will go from here and go into the creek."

A tour of Mohawk's Water Treatment Plant shows these sixth graders exactly where their water comes from. "We've got six pumps, these are the pumps that bring water from Lake Yahola into the water treatment plant and it allows us to adjust how much water is brought into the plant on a daily basis."

13-year-old Kenneth South, "And how all the stuff gets mixed with it to create clean water to our houses and all the different stages it does to before it gets to our house." These youngsters say they never realized the potential pollutants that can invade their water source. But water system administrators say Tulsa's water quality is good, "We put a lot of work into it, and to make sure that the water is safe to drink."

The students took part in the "Wet in the City" program an educational program to educate youngsters about water issues.