Scouts go ‘Around the Bend’ with Wessex Water

Who knew that someone’s false teeth once got flushed down the toilet? Or that all of Bath’s wastewater flows in sewers to Saltford Water Recycling Centre for careful treatment?

Scouts certainly didn’t – and 12 of our young people (with a mascot from Beavers) were treated to a pretty unusual, and fascinating, tour. We saw the process from start to finish with plenty of entertaining insights from Phil, our guide.

Bacteria play a crucial role in the wastewater treatment process and Phil’s team had set up the microscope enlarged onto the TV screens for us to take a close-up look. Water Bears aka tardigrades were the favourite bug, apparently. A real-world demonstration of how crucial science is to so many careers and industries.

Thank you so much to Wessex Water for hosting our Scouts and showing us this often overlooked element of our daily lives. We’ll certainly be only flushing pee, poo, and paper!