Chilton County fourth grade students were given an opportunity to learn more about water—and the role it plays in their lives—at the third annual Water Festival held in Clanton on Friday.

The event, held at the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center and the adjacent campus of Jefferson State Community College, is designed to teach students about the impact each of them has on the quality of water in the county.

“Having them understand (water quality) makes them appreciate it,” said Glenn Littleton with the Alabama Clean Water Partnership.

Littleton said the concept was originally started by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in 1997, and has become a state-wide event.

“They called it a groundwater festival,” LIttleton said. “They needed to teach kids about the consequences (of pollution) and what effect you’re going to have on the earth.”

Students from around 30 classes took part in the festival, which saw each class visit three stations—providing students a chance to get hands-on experience—focused on a certain aspect of water quality.

One station, called the “Water Cycle Bracelet,” encouraged students to construct a bracelet that described the stages of the water cycle by color. In addition to the color-coding, instructors informed students of the water cycle process and how it affects their lives.

Another, called “Fantastic Filtration,” gave students the opportunity to add “pollution” to a cup of water before filtering the water through cheese cloth and a coffee filter to make it clear again.

In the third station, “Edible Aquifers,” students filled the bottom of a plastic cup with gummy worms to represent aquifers before placing ice cream on top to represent soil.

Students then placed sprinkles on top of the ice cream to represent pollutants, and poured Sprite—representing rain—on top to show how precipitation washes pollutants into aquifers. Students then used straws to try and pull up the pollutants.

Lexi Smith, a student in Teresa Stewart’s class at Maplesville, said she enjoyed the aquifer station.

“I liked eating it, and I liked making it,” she said. “It’s interesting, because I didn’t know water could come from the ground. I’ll probably teach (this) to others.”

Allison Jenkins, executive director of the Alabama Clean Water Partnership, taught one of the aquifer stations, and said she wanted students to understand how simple decisions could affect the environment.

“Our water is easily polluted by things we do every day,” she said. “I’m talking (to them) about common pollutants.”

Jenkins said household items, such as fertilizers and motor oil, were not bad in their own right but if not properly maintained, can have consequences on water quality.

“Oil leaking from cars (is one) we talk about,” she said. “They flow untreated. Storm waters carry all these pollutants into our waterways.”

The design for this year’s water festival banner was created by Alexis Atchison of Maplesville High School, and Littleton said around 75 volunteers helped out with the event.

Sponsors included the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Chilton County Home Builders Association, Chilton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Alabama Power Service Organization,  Alabama Cooperative Extension, Chilton County Farmers Federation and Lake Mitchell HOBO, among others, Littleton said.

In addition, students from Coosa County were able to attend through a partnership the Coosa County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Students also attended a magic show at the end of the three sessions.

Littleton said he hoped the lessons learned at the water festival made an impact on students.

“We just hope it stays with them,” he said. “We hope it’s something they remember. I hope they go away with a few things that stick.”