Affinity Water Trip

What a fantastic day!  Year 4 were an absolute pleasure to take and a credit to the school.  Read our reviews of the day here.

22 thoughts on “Affinity Water Trip

  1. Year 4 have recently been on a trip to Affinity Water. We saw how they clean the water and then send it to us at Lochinver. I found it astounding that I use 160 litres! The day was sorted into two sections. For the first part we were having a tour of the site, we saw the huge pipes that come from the sewers and take the dirty water to the site to be cleaned. For the second half making dam with our hands. We also built a mini ant village on the river bank using building blocks. We got a silver certificate for not having much litter in the bins. Our teacher: Miss Martin said that the staff at Affinity Water were impressed by how much we know. I really enjoyed our trip to Affinity Water and finding out how they clean our water.

  2. On Friday as a school trip we went to Affinity Water and I learnt a lot about water. Surprisingly on average in England everybody uses 160 litres of water and in third – world countries they use on average 500 millilitres of water in one day.
    I now fully know the water – cycle which includes most importantly evaporation, condensation and precipitation. I understand more about fast – onset floods, slow – onset floods and flash floods. I learnt about dams and villages near seas and why people make dams. I learnt what things we use water on like power showers, baths, washing up, cleaning dishes and flushing the toilet.
    I really enjoyed going to Affinity Water because I learnt a lot about water and facts that could help me in science in year 5.

  3. On Friday we went to Affinity Water. It was really fun and I enjoyed the experience a lot.

    I was in Miss Martins group so we got to go to the river model first.The river model had running water which not only was a great learning resource but also a fantastic way to cool down while doing activities of corse. My personal favourite activity was the last where we tried to make the river flood.

    After we had had lunch we se out for a tour of the works. There were huge buildings there and I was amazed at how they cleaned the water. First they put it though a substance known as GAC for short this would filter out a germ called Ecolie. They would then add chlorine to the water. But there is still one germ left in the water, but how do they get rid of it? The answer lies in one of the many buildings on the sight. In a building next to the one with the GAC is something called a ultra filtration device. It works by a network of small pipes. There are a series small holes in the pipe which only allow the water to pass through and the germs get stuck.
    Over all I found this trip extremely interesting and I rate it 5 stars out of 5 stars and recommend this trip for future year 4’s forever.

  4. On Friday the 29th of June 2018 the teachers and students of Year 4 visited Affinity Waters (a water treatment plant located in Hertfordshire). I found the trip extremely informative and overall had a lovely experience.

    Firstly, we joined together with the groups we had been assigned and then talked for a while with a member of staff about how you use water in everyday life. I found this part very interesting as it made me think about how much I use water everyday and how I should try to use the resource as little as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed this part and came up with lots of suggestions about how you use water everyday.

    Next, we went over to a model river and the member of staff filled it up with some water but kept the tap on to give the effect of flowing water. We learnt about how floods can occur and how to prevent them made the model flood by forming a barrier with our hands therefore the water had nowhere to go and, consequently, flooded the grass around the model river.

    After that it was time for lunch. I ate my lunch quickly and waited eagerly for the final activity.

    Finally, we were showed around the plant and told how the water purification system works. I found this part highly interesting and learnt lots of facts about how water gets purified I never knew before.

    Overall I had an amazing day and would highly recommend going there.

  5. On Friday we went to Affinity water treatment centre. We first got rounded up and our teachers told us which groups we were in. Next, we got on the bus, the journey was 30 – 45 minutes. When we got there, we had a little introduction then we started doing the activities. My group went to a model of a river. The teacher then put the hose pipe on that represented the flow and source of the river. We learnt a lot identifying the components of a river e.g. confluence, waterfall and erosion. Then, we moved onto looking at the middle course, lower course and the upper course. Our group had to explain and look at where the middle course is. Following on from that, we sat in the shade and started to talk about the pollution of rivers. After this we ate our lunch in the picnic area.

    After lunch we moved on to our next activity looking at the water treatment centre, how you clean water and finally permeable and impermeable surfaces. We carried out an experiment where we poured water on to tarmac it didn’t soak it up, so we know it is impermeable. Whereas the grass soaked it up, so it is permeable. Next, I experimented to show people that water is heavy by carrying 5 litres of water to the site. This load was quite heavy! Then we went to see the dirty water and our teacher showed us that it was being cleaned by GAC. We then acted as if we were GAC that cleans out Ecoli bacteria. Water can go through the GAC and a type of bacteria. That then must be cleaned out by a tube with such tiny holes that the bacteria can’t get through as, but water can. We also experimented with this. After that we learnt a song to help us remember what we had seen.

    Second to last, we packed up and went back on the bus to Lochinver. Lastly, we got sent home and had a good rest and thought about all the things we did. The highlight of the trip for me was learning about how the GAC works.

    By Ravjoth

  6. On Friday we went on a school trip to Affinity Water and it was really interesting. In the morning we were learning about rivers so we went over to a model river and did different activities on it. The first activity we did was where we were given cards and they were all different and they either said, Upper Course, Middle Course or Lower Course. My Group got the upper course so we had to put the cards were we thought the Upper Course was. Then we were given a key and some blocks, the key said that green = school, blue = house, football pitch = playground, animals = farm and Red = hospital so what we had to do was build our own Town. So it was to see if we would build our Town on the Upper Course, Middle Course or Lower Course, also it was to see whether we would put the farm closer or the farm further away from the river.

    Then we went into a little hut and made up our own story about how the rivers are getting polluted. In pairs we were given a tub that had something in it that pollutes rivers and what we had to do was when it was our turn, pour the item that was in the tub into the river. My partner was Marc and our piece of pollution was oil.

    That half of the day it was more learning about rivers and pollution.

    The second half of the day was a bit different. After lunch first of all we were talking about how the company Affinity Water get there water. What we learnt is the way they do it is they put a long tube under ground and suck up a lot of water that comes from chalk as chalk is the rock that you will find if you dig deep under ground. After that we went into a big building and we saw a huge pipe that carries all of the water into our homes then we saw what our water looks like before it has been cleaned. What we saw were things like bacteria algi and dirty things like that. then we felt a rock that comes from coconuts that they put in the water and it makes the water go a black colour we all had a chance to feel the rock. Then we all stood bunched up together all squeezed onto one carpet and we were seeing how easily the rock can get through the water and how hard it is for the bacteria to get into the water.

    Our trip to Affinity Water was really interesting and I learnt a lot.

  7. When we went on the affinity water trip there was lots of interesting facts. we were split into 2 groups my group saw the water being purified first, there were lots of doors and steps and there was a thirty second door challenge. firstly, we smelt the chlorine being rushed through a pipe,then we went upstairs and saw all of the water pumps and buttons to control the system,after that we saw the water coming from the sewers going into these big tanks of water. We came out and saw the big pipes that carry all the water through to your house , if the pipe burst it could split you in half ! When Then we came back to have lunch and then went onto our next activity that was a model river first we all got a card one between two and we had to put it where we thought it was supposed to go me and my partner got it right then we tried to flood the river by making dams and letting go, it worked very well, next we made a mini town and we had to have it close to the river, we put our farm closest to the river because if it gets flooded it doesn’t make a big impact but a house or hospital would, finally we went onto the last part of the activity that was the dangers of polluting in the water we put soap or weed killer but after that we got our bags and went home, I really liked going on that trip.

  8. Affinity Water
    Last Friday we went to Affinity Water on a school trip to learn about all the different parts of the river.
    We started the day at school and then we hopped on the bus to Affinity Water. When we got there we all had to wear bright yellow or orange jackets for safety reasons. After that we got into our groups and my group took the tour first. During the tour we learned how they cleaned dirty water with chlorine, and we got to see how the water looked before it was cleaned, it had algae in it. We got to see a massive pipe filled with powerful water inside. I have never seen a pipe that big before. Then we had our lunch.
    After lunch we went to the river model which had water flowing through it, but the best part was when we learnt about dams. We all tried blocking the river with our hands to make a dam and I got wet. At the end of the trip we went back to the bus and drove to our school. I enjoyed the trip.

  9. The affinity water trip was very good. I learnt so much on the trip and it was really interesting. My favourite thing was the model river.

    The model river was really fun trying to work out were the card may go. building the dam was really fun and seeing the water flood on to the side was amazing. The only thing was that the water was not flowing as fast as I wonted.

    Over all this trip was really good and intresting.

  10. The trip to Affinity Water was fascinating and interesting. I loved taking part in all the experiments and discussing what to do in our groups. One particular thing I found intriguing was putting hoses on a model river to see how long it took for the water to reach from the top of the river by the hills to the bottom. I also enjoyed making a model city and deciding what to put closest to the river. Our group thought it was important to have the buildings furthest away to avoid the risk of flooding.

    It was really cool to walk inside the MI5 section where we saw how the water was cleaned. We are actually drinking our sewage which has been filtered! GROSS!

    Did you know that we consume about 160 litres a day each just by showering, washing up, drinking etc.

    I was surprised I had a good time.

  11. On Friday, we went to Affinity Water. The first thing we did was looking at how rivers work. They showed us a small scale model river that they made , which showed us how they collected some of the water from the river. Then we looked at how the rivers are polluted by plastic and chemicals. These are bad for us and the environment because the plastic is eaten by the fish, which we then eat the fish which is very bad for our health.next we looked at how they filtered all the water .it was the best trip i have ever went on and i would recommend it to anyone

  12. Last Thursday we went to Affinity Water near Watford. We travelled there by coach and were split into groups. Affinity Water is a water cleaning station which cleans water from the bedrock. We learnt lots about where the water comes from, how the water is cleaned and how much water is used by households every day.
    I learnt that they put chlorine in the water while it’s traveling through the pipes otherwise the water would get dirty. They also taught us that the water they clean comes from the bedrock/chalk. We learnt that water comes from the sea, gets heated up by the sun called evaporation then made into clouds called condensation. When it rains- called precipitation- the water sinks in to the ground and goes down to the bedrock.To get the water out they dig big holes called boarholes and then stick big pumps down the holes to suck the water out.

    Oscar

  13. Today I went to Affinity Water. First I went to a model of a river. We switched on the water to come down the river, to make it as if it was a real river. At the top it was rocky, like in the mountains. In the middle the land around it there was green fake grass. In the curves of the river there was a beige-coloured clay and the sea was pebbles. After that I was given some blocks and created a town beside the river on the green grass.

    After lunch we walked into the part that was protected by MI5. We saw a lot of cameras (CCTV). Inside this area we saw pipes which were the width of a kitchen table. These carry water from the bedrock (which in England is mostly chalk) to be cleaned before it flows to people’s homes.

    We saw the water that hadn’t been cleaned. There was a lot of dark green algae floating on the top! Bacteria thrive in this water, for example, cryptosporidium. Chlorine was put in the water to make it stay clean. The water that we drink from our taps has a very small amount of chlorine in it.

    We learned some interesting facts. Did you know that the average person uses 160 litres of water per day? This is roughly the same as two baths!

  14. Affinity Water Trip Report

    When we arrived I could see the underground reservoir ahead of me. After getting off the coach we went into the Education centre where we put our bags on the hangers. I was in group C and we made a river first.

    The first activity of making a river was to name each part of the river, then we put water into the mouth of the river. We learnt about ‘upper’ ‘middle’ and ‘lower’ courses of the river and their qualities. After this we had to decide where to put a new town. My group made our river in the middle/lower course of the river. Then we went back to the education centre.

    After lunch, we went to look at the treatment plant. In this area there were a lot of security measures including cameras, MI5 agents, 30 second doors and an electric fence. We learnt about how the water is cleaned by filtering it using pipes with tiny holes in, which only air and water can fit in. In the treatment building we saw the chlorinating area and it smelt a lot like a swimming pool. We went upstairs to the reservoir and saw on one side dirty water and on the other clean water!

    I really enjoyed the trip and felt it was very interesting. I really enjoyed making a river and think this is the best school trip I have been on.

    Eddie 4M

  15. Affinity Water trip review (by Misha Ufland)

    On Friday we went on a tip to Affinity Water. I felt a bit sick on the way there because of the tight seat belt.
    When we got there we were greeted by a man who took us into a small room.
    The man told us various facts about water, how much each one of us uses and how much water we waste.
    Then we were split up into 3 groups. I was in group 1.
    Here is a summary of what we did:

    We’ve started by revising the water cycle. Then we took 60 big steps to see how deep the water reservoir was.
    After that we went round a few buildings which clean water. After that we went back to do an experiment with chlorine. Then we have looked at various countries around the world and how much rain they get.
    Then it was lunch time. We had a recycling competition to see if we can get away with no general waste. I had no general waste in my lunch box.
    After lunch we have joined group 2 and went to the model river to switch it on and to see how it flows. We were split into 3 groups to try and block the river flow. We then tried finding the best place to build a village on the river banks.
    We talked about waste that people throw away that goes into rivers.
    Then it was time to go home.
    The best bit for me was the model river. I’ve enjoyed seeing how the river works and blocking its flow. I’ve also learned a lot of interesting facts and information about how to save water.

    I have really enjoyed this trip!

    Misha

  16. I really enjoyed my trip to Affinity Water and learnt a lot of interesting things. My favourite activities from the trip were the river model, making dams and demonstrating the water filter.
    River Model.
    The river model was made of artificial grass, rocks, wood and had a mini waterfall. I liked the way it showed one source joined another source to make a bigger river. I also liked how the model was curved and showed how the water flows over when it goes around the corners very fast.

    Making Dams
    We split into 3 groups and took turns on the upper course, middle course and lower course. We used our hands and arms to create a dam and see what happened when you removed the dam at the different parts of the river.
    My favourite bit was when the water gushed down to the lower course and we all got wet. The water travelled the fastest in the lower course.

    Water Filter
    I also liked the demonstration of how a particular type of rock let the water through but didn’t let the bacteria through. They used this to clean the water and get rid of all the bacteria. The holes in the rock were so small the bacteria couldn’t get through and the water could.
    It was good that they demonstrated it to us so that we could understand how it worked. We used plastic balls as water and cuddly toys to represent the bacteria.

    I would recommend everyone go on this trip.

  17. On Friday Year 4 went on a school trip to Affinity Water. Affinity Water is where the water we use in our homes comes from. If you live in Hertfordshire when you turn on the tap the clean water has come from Affinity Water. The day was split into two parts. In the morning we made our own lake, and in the afternoon we had a tour around Affinity Water. A member of staff from the centre taught us for the day.

    To make the lake we had to complete a couple of tasks. The first task was labelling the lake, then we spoke about floods, and finally we built a city at the right length from the water. On the lake we made a dam with our hands. When we lifted are hands up a big rush of water came through.

    We had a factual tour around Affinity Water. To prevent people from getting in and polluting the water the centre has really good security. Affinity Water is protected by MI5, I felt like I was in a James Bond movie! I was most impressed by the electric fences which were around the whole site. They explained that before the water comes from our taps they have to clean it, because there are loads of bacteria which can give you a bad stomach. In the grounds Affinity Water has a hill, inside the hill there is a huge supply of water.

    My favourite part of the day was making our own lake. I liked this because I love watching rivers flow it made me think creatively about the life of a river, and all the things it collects on its way. I enjoyed making the lake especially the tiny water fall.

  18. On Friday the 29th June I went on a school trip to Affinity water. Affinity water is a water treatment centre and cleans all the water that we use and drink in Hertfordshire.

    The first part of the trip I found very interesting. I learnt I use on average 160 litres of water a day. I thought this was a lot. After an introduction we were given a detailed tour around the treatment plant. I learnt that Affinity water has a huge water reservoir close to the plant and this is enclosed within a hill. This is so no one can get to it. I also learnt how water is cleaned. Filters are used as well as a very small amounts of chloride. The tour guide said “Affinity water scientists are constantly testing the water to see if new pollutants are present. They will also work on how to remove them.” From the tour, I also learnt all about what we use water for and the volumes used for each activity. We also investigated what countries have the most rain. I couldn’t believe that England was one of the highest on the list of having the least.

    I found it interesting that Affinity water uses huge pipes called raw pipes to get the water over to us and back to them.

    Finally it was lunch. I munched down my food and got ready for the next activity.

    The activity after lunch was more practical. We walked over to a river that they had made and labelled all the different aspects of the river that are important. After this the guides turned on the taps, water filled the river bed. We were told to dam up the river with our hands. There was an upper course group who dammed the upper section of the river and also a middle and lower course groups. We had a chance at all the courses. My favourite was the lower one.

    After this we made an ant village out of blocks. This was my favourite activity. The different coloured blocks represented different buildings e.g. green = libraries and schools. We had to think about if the ant village flooded what would be the best things to flood, e.g. it would be better for the farm to flood than the hospital.

    After this we had our final activity, where we listened to a story and as the story progressed we put props in the water to illustrate how the water got dirtier. I really enjoyed this.

    Finally we had to pack our bags and go back to Lochinver. The staff at Affinity water were extremely impressed with our vocabulary and behaviour.

    I really liked this school trip and think I learnt a lot about water. Thank you Lochinver!

  19. Another fantastic review of a very successful trip – well done 4M. Your work was honest and interesting to read and I am really impressed with the development in your vocabulary. Remember to check your work for basic errors with capital letters and punctuation!

  20. On Friday 29th of June we went to affinity water. The first thing we did was making a model river after we Had lunch finally we learnt about the water disease and how it gets to our home.

    The model river looked a bit like a golf course, we were given cards to put in the right place of the model River my group which was me Lucas t and Morgan had the meander (bend)There were lots of BendsBut we placed the card on the largest bend after they gave us building blocks to make a town and some wool as a farm we put the town near the river so you could get water supplies easily and the farm next to the river so you can get rich soil at the end we could block the river me Ravjoth and Ben P blocked lots of water and when it came down it looked like a tsunami.

    Finally we learnt about the water they clean it with Chlorine and have pipes with holes in them So a disease called cryptosporidium get trapped if you drink water with cryptosporidium you would get terrible a stomach ache for water to get to our homes it comes from massive pipes when we see they’re tiny.

    Sohum

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