Writing Contest Winners 2018-2019

Honorable Mention, Grades 6-8

Stephanie Guan
Grade 7, Atlantic Middle School, Quincy
Ms. Holly Rendle, Teacher

Melting from the vigorous sprint and bright, beaming sun rays, I arrive home and swig an invigorating glass of tap water. Refreshed however grimy, I strip down and collapse into a relaxing tub filled with sanitary water. Soon I am pondering the convenience I enjoy thanks to MWRA. Here in the Boston area, our water quality is one of the best in the world, and exceeds Massachusetts' strict standards. STEM-- science, technology, engineering, and math--is applied by the MWRA to provide clean water and safe disposal of sewage.

Scientists at the MWRA toil to get our water clear of toxins. Although their water is sourced from isolated watersheds and is naturally filtered by soil, rocks, and plants as it travels to the reservoirs, chemists take it from there to ensure safety and purity. After use by homes and industries, sewage approaches Deer Island Treatment Plant. Here, wastewater is cleaned and sent to Massachusetts Bay. During the cleaning process, multiple stages purify the wastewater, including the use of microorganisms. I'm sure biologists had a role to play in that decision! After going through the systems, tests determine whether the water is clean enough to be released into Massachusetts Bay. We therefore should be grateful that science is employed by at the MWRA because without it, drinking water to be unsanitary and wastewater would be dumped into rivers and bays.

Engineering and technology are crucial to the MWRA's ability to provide water rapidly and efficiently to consumers. Engineers employed at MWRA utilize pipes as a waterway. Pipes are affordable, great for covering hundreds of miles and varies in sizes. Employing new technologies and resolving problems are a part of engineering, and when MWRA had trouble with water flow, they noticed that the placement of pipes is crucial for a proper flow. They positioned pipelines to easily work with gravity. Although pumping is available and is used when necessary, letting water flow naturally requires less surveillance, therefore it has less cost and complications. With the process of problem solving, MWRA is able to invent a waterway successfully utilized by millions of people. Without the use of engineering and technology, the design of the water and sewer system would have numerous problems. But engineers not only create such systems, but they also keep them going through maintenance and repair. Thanks to them, we have clean, reliable water and safe harbors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Scientists, technology experts, and engineers could not do their jobs without math. Precise and accurate measurements are necessary for the chemicals needed to clear the water and water testing; therefore, math is vital for the MWRA water and sewer system. Calculating the proper amount of chemicals to treat water needs to be precise, and took numerous trials and errors. Experimenting for perfect water to be able to travel the pipe network and be clean enough to drink requires ample data and measurements of each treatment added. Perfecting drinking water may seem more essential than disinfecting wastewater, however both are equally crucial. With the problem of wastewater, mathematicians use measurements to terminate the pollutants to be able to dump the now clean water into natural water sources. I, for one, am extremely grateful for the water and sewer services made possible by math.

We all need to appreciate how STEM is utilized in the MWRA to provide fresh water for millions of consumers. Thanks to scientists, technology experts, engineers, and mathematicians, we have some of the cleanest drinking water in the world. Next time you take a refreshing shower or sip the freshest water, thank the MWRA.