Benicia Water Education Program
Solano Resource Conservation District, in partnership with the City of Benicia, invites all 4th and 5th grade classes in Benicia to participate in the
Benicia Water Education Program
In this FREE program, students explore their local watershed, understand where their drinking water comes from, where their storm and wastewater goes, and how to be good stewards of their water resources.
The 4th grade program introduces concepts and focuses primarily on wastewater, which is built upon in 5th grade where students focus primarily on drinking water resources.
Email program manager Lee Ascencio at to learn more about this program.
- 4th Grade Program Overview
- 4th Grade NGSS Standards
- 5th Grade Program Overview
- 5th Grade NGSS Program Standards
4th Grade Program Overview
Fourth graders who participate in the Benicia Water Program learn what happens when their wastewater goes down the drain. Students identify objects that should or shouldn not go down household, school, and business drains to keep the environment safe and the wastewater plant in working order. Finally, students identify stewardship activities they can do in their homes to keep their wastewater safe.
Logistics
This program includes 2 in-class visits: One 50 minute pre-lesson and one hour and a half virutal field trip.
During the virtual field trip, students will hear from a real water treatment employee as they zoom into the facility and see how their waste water is cleaned. In addition to the zoom tour, students will participate in a water treatment model demonstation, see tools used in the treatment process, and get to use microscopes to explore microorganisms that help break down waste.
4th Grade NGSS Standards
5th Grade Program Overview
Fifth graders that participate in the Benicia Water Program will develop awareness of their drinking water and how people interact with and influence Benicia's local watershed. By the end of the program, students will be able to name the sources of drinking water for Benicia, describe some of the processes of how water is treated before it is delivered to homes, and explain how runoff water impacts the watershed.
Logistics
Each class will participate in a 2 hour long walking field trip to a nearby park as well as an 1.5 hour virtual zoom field trip a week later.
For the walking field trip, teachers will bring their students to the front of the school to meet with a Solano RCD educator who will assist in walking the class to a nearby park. At the park, students will seperate into 3 groups and participate in 3 science and nature stations. At the conclusion, the RCD educator will assist with walking the students back to their school.
During the in-class field trip, a Solano RCD educator and a staff member from the Benicia water treatment plant will give the students a virtual zoom tour of the drinking water treatment facility. In addition to the tour, students will participate in 2 hands on lab experiences to test water quality of Lake Herman and tap water.
5th Grade NGSS Program Standards
Additional Resources
Where does Benicia's tap water come from?
Drinking Water Sources
We use water in different ways every day, such as to cook, wash the dishes, and brush our teeth - just to name a few. Have you ever wondered how water gets to your house and where exactly it is coming from? Learn about which river, lake, and canal your water travels through as we discuss “Source to Sink” - where the water is coming from and how it gets to your home.
The Treatment Process
Benicia's drinking water comes from Lake Berryessa, the Sacramento River, or Lake Herman. Before it is delivered to your home and to other places in your community, the water has to be treated first. Learn how Benicia's water is made clean and safe for use at the Benicia Water Treatment Plant.
