The City of Wyoming’s Utilities Department has for several decades welcomed hundreds of school groups into our facilities to learn how the City works to protect public health and the environment. Our Utility Department endorses the Place-Based Education goal of “providing area schools an opportunity for students to develop stronger ties to their community, enhance students’ appreciation for the natural world and to create a heightened commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens.

Outdoor Learning Laboratory

54 acre urban lake, (former gravel pit) with inlet from the Grand River, 3 plus acres open space suitable for installation of rain gardens, soil studies, outdoor event staging areas convenient to the Grand River and the Kent County Bike Trail System and access to Roys Creek.

Public Outreach Team Speakers

Environmental professionals in our department are available for presentation in your school on topics including Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Process, Environmental Protection/Industrial Pretreatment, Careers in the Water Professional Community, Urban – Rural Connections in the Water Environment, and Recycling Programs to Protect the Water Treatment Plant and the Environment.

Resources

Our department has the following resources available to assist in the learning process: working Ground Water Model, Eco-scape model, hands-on classroom presentations including microscopic organisms, Water Festival program assistance and Environmental Curriculum Guides for K-12.

Service Learning Projects

Community outreach and public education programs within our Department consisting of:

• Cross-Connections - inspecting and public education efforts to minimize the risk of cross contamination in our water distribution system.

• Drug Take-back program - WyMeds. introducing a program to allow the public to return unused or expired drugs to an area pharmacy for proper disposal. The goal is to keep prescription drugs out our watershed and out of the hands of un-intended users.

• Food, Farming and Flushing - educating the public about this interdependency.

• Government and Grass-roots Groups - students learn how local ordinances, regulations and economic factors affect the water environment.

• GPS - as a water protection tool.

• Household Hazardous Waste Collection - working with Kent County, the Clean Water Plant maintains a collection program for hazardous waste.

• Mercury minimization - working with area dentists, mercury thermometer exchange program… identifying other sources of mercury.

• Odors and air quality – good neighbor relations.

• Oil and Grease - educating the public about keeping our drains grease free.

• Stormwater Management - on-going public education effort.

• Water quality reporting and customer confidence - eg. The history or fluoridation, water purification and new technologies.

Tours

The Clean Water Plant offers tours for school aged children in 2nd grade and up. Groups of up to 30 per session learn how the Clean Water Plant protects the Grand River and works to minimize the impact of human activity on our natural environment.

Teachers, please contact our department with questions related to these or other topics for service partner opportunities.

Contact Information

MJ Robinson
Phone: 616.261.3552
Monday - Thursday
7:00 AM - 4:30 PM