News
Severn Trent teaches pupils to be water savvy
05 May 2016
Pupils at Dalestorth Primary School in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottingham, recently learnt the importance of using water wisely at school and home, and the ‘dos and don’ts’ of what to flush down the toilet, thanks to a visit from Severn Trent.
The visit came about after Nottingham was identified as a ‘hotspot area’ for sewer misuse, with teams regularly in the area unblocking the sewers. The company thought it would be a good idea to pay a visit to the school, to educate the children on what they can and can’t put down the toilet, and changes they can do to make sure they’re not wasting water.
Simone Bridge, Severn Trent customer and community team leader for the area, who worked with the children said: “We went into the school during assembly to talk about the importance of water and how much we use, not only locally but around the world. We also spoke to the pupils about how sewage is treated and recycled, and then put back into the river. The children also learnt about the 3 Ps’ - pee, (toilet) paper, and poo, which are the only things that should be put down the toilet, and how items including wet wipes, nappies and cotton buds should be put in the bin and not down the toilet, to prevent pipes from becoming blocked.
"We talked to pupils about how making small changes like turning off the tap when brushing your teeth can save water. We also showed the youngsters how to reduce their time in the shower to four minutes. This hopefully will encourage the pupils to think about how long they and their family spend in the shower.”
Mr Rumsby, a teacher at Dalestorth Primary School, said: “It was a fun assembly, the children really enjoyed it. Most importantly the children learnt some really important messages about how they can help the environment. We look forward to working with Severn Trent in the future.”
Simone added: “I think that talking to the pupils really helped them to understand just how much work goes into making sure there’s water there for them when they turn on the tap, and how important it is to only flush the ‘3 Ps’ down the toilet. Blocked sewer pipes can cause sewer flooding; this can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, which is why it’s so important to help educate our next generation to prevent this from happening.”