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Prince William County Service Authority Final Approved Script

2/10/14 Text Graphics, Objects, & Media 1.0 INTRODUCTORY AREA

1.1 Welcome Wall [Side 1] [1.1.1 Main exhibit title] Water [1.1.2 Subtitle] From Source to Tap and Back Again

GOBO DISPLAY with projected images of water and water sounds

[1.1.6 Introductory exhibit text] The Prince William County Service Authority is committed to providing and protecting water—a precious resource that humans and other organisms depend on for life.

MEDIA: Changing images related to water that support the introductory exhibit text above—e.g., close-up shots of water, Chesapeake Bay and local bodies of water, people using and enjoying water in various ways, Chesapeake Bay wildlife in water (e.g., fish, birds, crabs)

[Side 2] [1.1.4 Graphic (back)] [Graphic caption] The Prince William County Service Authority uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver safe drinking water to residents and to return clean water to the environment.

GRAPHIC illustrating “source to tap and back again” and highlighting the circular nature of the process

[1.1.5 Factoid]

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About 3,600 different kinds of plants and animals found in the Chesapeake Bay benefit from our treatment process. 1.2 Your Local Watershed [1.2.2 Main title] Your Local Watershed The Chesapeake Bay

[1.2.1 Wall graphic] IMAGES: Aerial photo of Chesapeake Bay watershed with other images of the Bay, animals, and people

[1.2.8 Main text] The Prince William County Service Authority is located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed—the nation’s largest and most naturally productive estuary. It was named a National Treasure in 2009. Like all estuaries, the Chesapeake Bay is a partially enclosed body of water with numerous rivers or streams flowing into it and a large outlet to the open sea.

[Map caption] The Chesapeake Bay’s drainage basin covers six states and the District of Columbia.

[1.2.3 Map 1] MAP showing all the states the Chesapeake Bay affects

[Map caption] The coast of Virginia runs along the Chesapeake Bay. Among the Virginia rivers that flow into the Bay are the Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James.

[1.2.4 Map 2] MAP of Virginia, highlighting the Chesapeake Bay

[Map caption] All of the streams and creeks in Prince William County lead to the Potomac River, then on to the Chesapeake Bay.

[1.2.5 Map 3] MAP of Prince William County, highlighting its connections to the Chesapeake Bay

[1.2.7 Factoid] [Did You Know? Fact]

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More than 150 rivers and streams drain into the Chesapeake Bay. 1.3 Prince William County Service Authority [1.3.2 Main title] At Your Service Prince William County Service Authority

[1.3.5 Main text] The Prince William County Service Authority (PWCSA) serves approximately 90,000 homes and businesses in Prince William County. We provide our customers with safe, reliable drinking water. In addition, we clean all the used water before returning it to the Chesapeake Bay. To do this, we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

[1.3.1 Wall graphic] IMAGES: Background image of water superimposed with dramatically-lit, 3D, etched glass representation of PWCSA logo

MEDIA: Looping video of PWCSA staff doing different jobs

[1.3.3 Graphic panel] We are one of the largest combined water AND wastewater authorities in Virginia. At our water reclamation plant, we treat approximately 5 billion gallons of wastewater every year.

WINDOW into adjoining area with sightline to aquarium

[1.3.4 Graphic panel] What exactly do we do? Let’s look behind the scenes and find out.

1.4 Water Use

INTERACTIVE

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[Main title] How Much Do You Know About Water? [Main text] Take this quiz and find out. [NOTE: See Appendix for quiz questions.] 1.5 Bathroom [1.5.1 Bathroom sign, women’s room] A person spends an average of three years in the bathroom.

[1.5.2 Bathroom sign, women’s room] Bathroom water usage accounts for 65% of total indoor water consumption in homes.

[1.5.3 Bathroom sign, women’s room] Americans use about 100 gallons of water a day. Europeans use around 50 gallons, and Sub-Saharan Africans use about 3.5 gallons.

[1.5.5 Bathroom sign, men’s room] The average person uses the bathroom 2,500 times a year.

[1.5.6 Bathroom sign, men’s room] The water you are using in this bathroom took 2.5 days to get here from the water treatment plant.

[1.5.7 Bathroom sign, men’s room] The toilet is the highest water-consuming device in the home, accounting for nearly 30% of indoor water use.

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1.6 Scrim

1.7 Reception Area [1.7.1 Reception Sign] Welcome to the Prince William County Service Authority

2.0 DRINKING WATER

2.1 Why Do We Treat Your Water? [2.1.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] Why Do We Treat Your Water?

[Main text] To protect your life. Just a little more than a century ago, people in the U.S. were dying of waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid fever. Then researchers discovered the most effective chemical for disinfecting microbes: chlorine. It sparked a revolution in public health. In 1908, Jersey City, New Jersey, became the first city to chlorinate its water supply. Since then, millions of lives have been saved—and billions of life spans extended—through water treatment.

[Graph title] Clean Water and Life Expectancy [Graph caption] Between 1900 and 1956, average life expectancy in the U.S. increased from 47 to 70 years—largely because of clean water.

GRAPH showing relationship between clean water and life expectancy

[Did You Know? Fact] In 1900, 25,000 Americans died of typhoid. By

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1960, thanks to the use of chlorine in water treatment, that number dropped to 20. [Did You Know? Fact] Every year 3.4 million people—almost the entire population of Los Angeles—die from a water-related disease.

[2.1.2 Graphic panel] [2.1.3 Factoid] About 780 million people worldwide—about 2.5 times the population of the U.S.—do not have access to safe drinking water.

IMAGES: Collage of photos showing people using clean and unclean water

2.2 Where Does Your Water Come From? [2.2.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] Where Does Your Water Come From?

[Main text] The water in Prince William County comes from three treatment plants. One draws water from the Potomac River; another pulls water from the Occoquan Reservoir; the last takes water from Lake Manassas. The water undergoes a thorough treatment process at Fairfax Water and the City of Manassas before being distributed. Some water comes from community wells. This groundwater is also treated before being distributed.

[Captions for four photos] Potomac River Occoquan Reservoir Lake Manassas Community Wells

IMAGES: Photos of the 4 water sources: Potomac River, Occoquan Reservoir, Lake Manassas, and Community Wells

[2.2.2 Graphic panel] INTERACTIVE MAP showing where

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[Interactive instructions] Push the buttons to see the four sources of water in Prince William County. [Button labels] Potomac River Occoquan Reservoir Lake Manassas Community Wells

PWCSA water comes from and what areas are served by each source

2.3 Your Water Is Treated Right [2.3.1 Wall Graphic] [Main title] Your Water Is Treated Right

[Main text] Before water is delivered to you, it goes through a six-step treatment process that ensures it is clean and safe to drink. In addition, we continually monitor the water that is delivered to you to ensure that it remains clean, safe and of the highest possible quality.

[2.3.2 Wall graphic] [Subtitle] The Water Treatment Process [Graphic captions] 1 Coagulation

Chemicals are added to the water, causing small particles to adhere to one another, or coagulate.

2 Flocculation As the particles coagulate, they create

larger particles (called flocc) that become heavier and heavier.

IMAGE: Graphic that shows the water treatment process, with an iconic image for each of the 6 steps

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3 Sedimentation The heavy flocc settles to the bottom and is cleared away.

4 Ozonation Ozone (a gas) is added to destroy

bacteria and other microorganisms and to improve taste.

5 Filtration

The water is filtered using granular activated carbon (GAC) to remove any remaining fine particles.

6 Secondary Disinfection As a final step, chlorine is added to ensure

a safe product is delivered to your home. 2.4 We Deliver Clean Water [2.4.1 Wall graphic] [Main title] We Deliver Clean Water Directly to You

[Main text] We make sure water is there when you need it. We store treated water in elevated storage tanks. An extensive network of underground pipes carries water from the tanks to homes, fire hydrants and businesses. A series of back-ups and check-ups ensures that the system is 99.999% reliable.

IMAGES of firefighters doing their job and doctors scrubbing before surgery

[2.4.2 Wall graphic] [Subtitle] How a Water Tower Works [Subtext] Storing water in elevated tanks ensures that the water system is adequately pressurized to distribute to customers. We pump water up to the

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tower, but it comes down by itself—through the force of gravity. [Text for top of flip door] This water tank holds 2 million gallons of water. Look inside. [Labels for diagram underneath] Water pumped to reservoir from treatment plant Water held in reservoir Water released by gravity Water delivered to customers

INTERACTIVE: Flip door with a photo of a PWCSA water tower on top, and underneath a simple diagram showing how water goes up to and down from the tank reservoir (see Wikipedia_water_tower or www.howstuffworks.com/water.htm)

[2.4.3 Subtitle] The Importance of Valves [Subtext] Valves are critical to a water system. They allow staff to work on individual pipes or small sections of the water system without closing down the whole system. The small metal lids you see on the street provide technicians with access to open and close valves. Technicians check the valves on a regular basis to make sure they are working.

IMAGE: Photo of a technician turning a valve

[Interactive instructions] Turn the wheel to open and close a valve

INTERACTIVE that enables visitors to turn a wheel to open and close a valve. As they turn the wheel, they see a cross-section of a pipe gradually light up.

[2.4.3a Did You Know? Fact] There are more than 35,000 valves in the Prince William County Service Authority water system.

[2.4.4 Wall graphic] [Subtitle] Pipes for Different Purposes [Subtext] Three kinds of pipes help bring water to your

OBJECTS: Three pipes of different materials and sizes (24” main, 8” main, and ¾” service)

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home. •24” Transmission Main: These pipes deliver large amounts of water to storage tanks that serve entire regions. •8” Distribution Main: These local mains run down neighborhood streets and serve homes and fire hydrants. •3/4” Service Line: These small pipes deliver water to individual homes and many businesses. [2.4.4a Did You Know? Fact] We deliver water to customers’ homes through more than 1,000 miles of pipeline.

[2.4.4b Did You Know? Fact] The first water pipes in the United States were made from wood.

OBJECT: Piece of wooden pipe

[2.4.5 Subtitle] Spring Cleaning [Subtext] Over time, water pipes accumulate lime deposits and other small particles. Every spring, we flush out the pipes by opening up fire hydrants. This increases the speed of the water so that it scours the pipes clean.

IMAGE: Photo of someone opening up a fire hydrant for the spring flushing program

2.5 How We Protect Your Health [2.5.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] How We Protect Your Health

[Main text] We continually monitor the water delivered to your home to make sure that it is safe and meets all regulatory requirements. Scientists analyze samples at our laboratory using

IMAGE: Photo of PWCSA staff monitoring water

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methods approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Our laboratory is certified to test drinking water for all the contaminants described to your right. [Image captions] Bacteria such as E. coli come from many places, including soil and animal feces. Chlorine is added at the water treatment plant and maintained in the water distribution system to destroy bacteria.

IMAGE of E. coli

Disinfection by-products form when chlorine comes in contact with naturally occurring organic matter. We test to make sure these by-products meet Safe Drinking Water standards.

IMAGE of byproducts

The pH test measures the acidity of water. Water that is too acidic eats away metals from pipes and faucets. We keep your water at a neutral pH of about 7.

IMAGE of pH test

Lead and copper can get into water from the corrosion of household plumbing fixtures. The water we provide meets safe levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency and Virginia Department of Health.

IMAGE of lead or copper

Alkalinity is the ability of water to neutralize acids. We make sure the water distributed to your home has good levels of alkalinity to prevent corrosion of pipes and faucets.

IMAGE related to alkalinity

Calcium is a naturally occurring mineral. Too much makes water hard and can cause mineral buildup on plumbing fixtures and poor detergent performance. We ensure the amount stays at acceptable levels.

IMAGE of calcium or calcium build-up

[Factoid] We conduct about 12,000 tests on drinking water every year.

3.0 USING AND CONSERVING WATER

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3.1 Household Usage [3.1.1 Graphic panel]

[Main title] Water in Your Home

[Main text] Can you think of at least five ways you use water in your home every day? The answers may surprise you. We depend on water for a variety of activities—including bathing, cooking, and washing clothes and dishes. And we use a lot of it—100 gallons a day for the average American. Explore the ins and outs of water in a typical home.

ICON OBJECTS: Giant toothbrush and water spigot IMAGES: Water drops coming from faucet icon

[Did You Know? Fact] The average household in Prince William County uses 70,000 gallons of water a year.

[3.1.2 Graphic panel] [Interactive instructions] Push to see how water moves through this typical house. In Out

INTERACTIVE: Large cutaway drawing of a typical house. When visitors push a button, they see water flowing into the house (from the main highlighted on the floor display below), moving to different parts of the house, and then flowing back out. Different colors will be used to distinguish the clean water going in from the used water going out.

[3.1.7 Floor display labels] To home To treatment plant

FLOOR DISPLAY: Image of manhole on floor, with pipes going to and from image of house.

[3.1.3 Graphic panel] [Subtitle above flip doors] How much water do these activities typically use?

INTERACTIVE: 8 flip doors with an image of an activity using water on top, and the average amount of water used underneath the door

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[Subtext below flip doors] Which activity uses the most water? [Text underneath doors] 25 gallons

IMAGE: Taking a shower

35 gallons IMAGE: Taking a bath

3 gallons with water running IMAGE: Brushing teeth

3−6 gallons per flush IMAGE: Flushing the toilet

600 gallons an hour IMAGE: Watering the lawn

300 gallons IMAGE: Washing the car

40−55 gallons per load IMAGE: Running the washing machine

10−15 gallons per load IMAGE: Running the dishwasher

3.2 Conserving Water [3.2.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] Help Protect Our Water Supply

[Main text] Water is a critical resource that we all need to conserve and protect. Here are some things you can do to help. [Text for video loop] Never pour these items down the drain: Fats, oils and greases Paints and solvents Antifreeze Never flush these items down the toilet: Disposable wipes and diapers Unused medications Tampons and sanitary napkins

MEDIA: Video loop showing inside of sewer main with grease, deposits and other things you should NOT throw down the drain. Include photos of 6 items (perhaps with X’s over them) that should not be poured down the drain (see list at left) or flushed down the toilet (see list at left).

[Subtitle] IMAGES: Photos related to 6

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Conserve! [Subtext] Use only the water you need, and prevent waste. •Fix leaky toilets and faucets. •Install high efficiency clothes washers, dishwashers and toilets. •Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. •Water the lawn and garden according to the irrigation schedule for your house number. •Check outdoor hoses and sprinklers for leaks. •Reuse water for tasks like watering your houseplants.

recommended activities at left

[Did You Know? Fact] You can save up to 3,000 gallons of water a year by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth.

4.0 WATER RECLAMATION

4.1 We Return Clean Water to the Bay [4.1.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] We Return Clean Water to the Bay

[Main text] Water that leaves homes and businesses is no longer clean. If we released it to the environment, excess amounts of algae would grow and oxygen levels would fall. Pollution would be rampant, and fish would die off. To prevent this, we clean all wastewater to return it to its natural state before discharging it. At the H.L. Mooney Advanced Water Reclamation Facility, high-tech processes remove contaminants. The processes are similar to those found in nature—only we do it faster.

IMAGE: Photo of wastewater before being treated to set up series of progressively cleaner water samples that appear in steps 1-4.

[4.1.2 Factoid]

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At the Mooney plant, we can treat up to 24 million gallons of wastewater a day. [Factoid] Every day, in our laboratory next door, we test the water treated here for more than 16 contaminants to make sure it is being properly cleaned.

[Factoid] The sewage flowing into this plant is 99.5% water.

[4.2.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] Where Does Your Wastewater Go?

[Subtext/graphic caption] Half of the County’s wastewater comes to this plant, the H.L. Mooney Advanced Water Reclamation Facility, operated by the Service Authority. The cleaned water is discharged into Neabsco Creek, which flows into the Potomac River. [Subtext/graphic caption] The other half of the County’s wastewater goes to the Millard H. Robbins, Jr Water Reclamation Plant, operated by the Upper Occoquan Service Authority. The cleaned water is discharged into Bull Run, which flows into the Occoquan Reservoir.

GRAPHIC: Large map highlighting location of Mooney Plant and Upper Occoquan Plant, with a photo of each plant (with short subtext/caption) pointing to each location and area it serves. Also highlight 2 rivers into which treated water is discharged, and show how the flows from both plants go to the Potomac River and ultimately feed into the Chesapeake Bay.

[4.2.2 Factoid] [Did You Know? Fact] The amount of nitrogen we remove in a year equals the weight of 216 adult elephants—or 1,300 tons.

[4.2.2 Graphic panel] [Subtitle] Step 1 Settling Out the Big Stuff

PHOTO of this treatment stage

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[Subtext] We pass wastewater through fine screens to remove rocks, food, hair, plastics and grit. Then we hold the screened water in large tanks. We add a safe chemical to remove phosphorous. Heavy solids fall to the bottom of the tank and are sent to be processed. Fats, oil and grease float to the surface, where we skim them off. [Caption] This is how the wastewater looks after Step 1.

WATER SAMPLE showing clarity after step 1

[Caption] In nature, sediments in river water are deposited at deltas, where rivers slow down before entering a larger body of water such as the Chesapeake Bay.

BACKLIT PHOTO of river delta

[4.2.3 Graphic panel] [Subtitle] Step 2 Biological Treatment [Subtext] We transfer the wastewater to tanks where microscopic bugs—the kind found in healthy water and soil—grow. They eat tiny waste particles in the water. The bugs that remove nitrogen and other dissolved substances demand a lot of oxygen, which we provide with powerful blowers. After the bugs are separated from the water, it looks very clean. But we take additional precautions.

PHOTO of this treatment stage

[Caption] This is how the wastewater looks after Step 2.

WATER SAMPLE showing clarity after this stage

[Caption] In nature, rivers, wetlands, marshes and lagoons contain the same microscopic bugs. Flowing streams provide the oxygen they need.

BACKLIT PHOTO of swamp or marsh

[4.2.4 Graphic panel]

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[Subtitle] Step 3 Filtration [Subtext] Next we pass the water through a deep, six-foot layer of sand to filter out any particles that still remain. Sometimes we add a safe chemical to the filters to remove additional nitrogen from the water. The water gets cleaner and cleaner. [Caption] This is how the wastewater looks after Step 3.

WATER SAMPLE showing clarity after this stage

[Caption] In nature, water becomes purified as it flows through layers of sand and soil.

BACKLIT PHOTO of water flowing through sand and soil

[4.2.5 Graphic panel] [Subtitle] Step 4 UV Light Process [Subtext] We use UV (ultraviolet) light to expose the wastewater to radiation and disinfect it. This process kills harmful bacteria and disease-causing organisms. Because we don’t use chemicals to control bacteria, the water is safe for fish and other organisms.

PHOTO of this treatment stage

[Caption] This is how the wastewater looks after Step 4.

WATER SAMPLE showing clarity after this stage

[Caption] In nature, sunlight kills harmful bacteria.

BACKLIT PHOTO of sunlight

[4.2.6 Graphic panel] [Subtitle] Step 5 Aeration

LARGE PHOTO of this treatment stage

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[Subtext] We send the water over a series of cascades to aerate—or add oxygen to—the water before it is released. Oxygen is essential for the animals and plants living in the rivers where the cleaned water will flow. [Caption] This is how the wastewater looks after Step 5.

WATER SAMPLE showing clarity after this stage

[Caption] In nature, water is aerated as it rushes down waterfalls or cascades over rocks.

BACKLIT PHOTO of water cascading over rocks

[4.2.7 Graphic panel] [Concluding statement] The water that leaves our plant is as clean as—or cleaner than—the water in the Chesapeake Bay. It is clean enough for fish and people to swim in.

LARGE AERIAL PHOTO of Bay

[4.2.8 Graphic panel] [Main title] See Where It Happens Explore the H. L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility

LARGE AERIAL PHOTO of the treatment plant

[Interactive instructions] Push the buttons to see where the five major steps in the water reclamation process take place. [Button labels] Step 1: Settling Out the Big Stuff Step 2: Biological Treatment Step 3: Filtration Step 4: UV Light Process Step 5: Aeration

RAIL with instructions and 5 buttons that light up the places where the 5 major steps take place

[4.3.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] Meet Some Good Bugs

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[Main text] They are way too small for you to see without the help of a microscope, but these tiny bugs do a big job for us. By feeding on waste particles and tiny bacteria, they help clean our water. Take a close look. Can you find the two organisms enlarged as models overhead?

VIDEO WITH MICROSCOPE: Ongoing video loop of helpful microorganisms. Definitely include rotifer and stalked ciliate (2 suspended models). Could also include vorticella, epistylis, free swimmer, amoeba, aspidisca, trachelophyllum and nematode. Kids can also look through microscope lenses to see the same loop.

2 SUSPENDED MODELS of rotifer and stalked ciliate

[4.4.1 Graphic panel] [Main title] Too Much of a Good Thing

[Main text] Nitrogen and phosphorus are important nutrients on which many life forms depend. Wastewater, however, can contain excessive amounts of these nutrients, due mostly to human waste and fertilizers. In the natural environment, these excess nutrients produce huge algal blooms that consume oxygen in water, causing aquatic life to die off. Through Step 2 in the treatment process described on the panel behind you, we are helping to prevent this problem.

PHOTO(S) of algal blooms

[Did You Know? Fact] The Service Authority exceeds federal and state requirements to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

[4.5.1 Graphic panel with aquarium tank] [Main title] See How Clear the Water Is? [Main text] This water was treated here at the H. L. Mooney

DISPLAY: Aquarium with local fish

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Water Reclamation Facility. It is clean enough to support these fish as well as the other aquatic life in local rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. [ID labels to come later]

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APPENDIX 1.4 Water Use Quiz

[NOTE: Yellow highlighting = correct answer.]

1. How much of your body weight is water?

25-30% 55-78% 92%

2. How much of Earth’s surface is covered by water? 55% 71% 89%

3. How much of Earth’s water is fresh? 3% 50% 81%

4. How many gallons of water are used in the United States each day? 150 million 2 billion 400 billion

5. In the United States, which daily activity uses the most water? Brushing teeth Flushing the toilet Taking a shower

6. Which chemical has saved millions of lives since it was used to treat water? Chlorine Fluoride Mercury

7. If you drink 8 glasses of water a day from the tap, how much will it cost you each year? 61¢ $28 $150

8. At one drip per second, how much water can a faucet leak each year? 1,700 gallons

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3,000 gallons 7 million gallons

9. How reliable is the system that delivers water to County homes and businesses? 25% 63.5% 99.999%

10. What were the first water pipes in the United States made of? Wood Iron Copper

11. Which of these items should you never pour down the drain? Dirty water Grease Coffee grinds

12. What do we use to eat tiny waste particles in water? Bugs Dogs Chickens