Lesson 5 – Seattle

Local Stormwater Systems

The details of this lesson can be found in the manual.  In addition, there is supplemental information about your school’s stormwater in your school-specific teacher guide.

Worksheets:

• School-Specific Pipes Maps – These are best printed in color. 

Video Link:

• All:  “When it Rains it Pours” Length 2:47 – English closed captioning can be turned on and off in the video with the CC button.

See your school-specific teacher guide for which of these videos to use:

• Option A: “Effects of Urbanization on a Stream Ecosystem” if your stormwater goes into a stream. Watch to 2:11.
• Option B: “Drained: Urban Stormwater Pollution” if your stormwater goes into a lake or Puget Sound.  Watch to 2:57

Display Materials:

• Why do CSOs happen? Explanation of Combined Sewer overflows in King County. 
• Combined Sewer Overflow Graphic – For use if stormwater from your school’s neighborhood goes to a wastewater treatement plant (described in your school-specific teacher guide).

Additional Resources:

• WaterMaps – This online GIS mapping tool was created by King County and is what IslandWood used to create most of the school-specific pipe maps.  If is designed for teacher and student use, but we are still refining some of the usability features.  If you have access to a couple students that would benefit from a more open ended challenge, you could provide it to them to explore. Here are directions for using WaterMaps.
• Seattle Public Utilities Citywide Stormwater Map 
• Combined Sewer Overflows Status (live) – Teaching about stormwater during a big rainstorm?  This King County website shows you which CSOs in Seattle are currently overflowing or have overflowed in the last 48 hours!