The tour filters out assumptions and highlights the real work our teams do to deliver safe, clean drinking water.
Vestavia Hills High School’s human biology class visited Central Alabama Water’s Shades Mountain Filter Plant December 5 for an inside look at how drinking water is treated and delivered to the community. The visit followed an earlier tour in October with students from G.W. Carver High School in Birmingham. They explored the filtration process and learned about the work that keeps safe drinking water flowing.
During each tour, students walked the outdoor site, observed key treatment stages in the filter buildings and heard directly from operators about the science, safety and teamwork behind producing reliable water. Melanie Vines, Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineer with Central Alabama Water, guided the Vestavia Hills group. She said most visitors are surprised by what they learn when they see the operations up close.
“I think a lot of people take away that there is much more to water treatment than they ever thought and that water is a resource not to be taken for granted,” Vines said.
Students viewed sedimentation basins, components of the filtration systems and operator workstations that monitor water quality throughout the day. Vines also highlighted career opportunities available in the water industry for students with varying levels of education and training.
What begins as curiosity often ends in clarity. The tour filters out assumptions and highlights the real work our teams do to deliver safe, clean drinking water within our five-county service area.
