Ambassador Trent

Kia ora,

I'm Trent the tuatara and I usually live at Mrs O'Brien's house. I enjoy watching what is going on, and can be slow to get anywhere. But don't be fooled because when I want something, I can move very quickly!

I can't wait to begin the People and Water field trip.

See you in Wellington,

Trent.

Monday 22 May 

Kia ora,

It was such a fantastic day to be travelling today. Snow covered the mountains and we were so thankful to have a window seat. I was surprised at how quick the trip to Wellington was so we had plenty of time to explore.

Wellington is a great place to wander around, with so much to do and see all within walking distance. We spent a bit of time walking along the waterfront and it was great to see just how much this city values its water. Tomorrow we are going to see how water is made safe to drink and find out how it makes its way to our taps.

See you then,

Trent.

Tuesday 23 May

Tēnā koutou,

Today we met lots of experts from Wellington Water and learnt about how our water is treated. It was really cool exploring the Wainuiomata Catchment and the treatment plant. I felt right at home in the lush forest.

It was fascinating to see how water is made safe to drink. Chemicals are added to remove impurities but these chemicals are all perfectly safe. I was so surprised by how much dirt was in what looked like clean water and glad that we don’t end up drinking this sludge.

Tomorrow we will be going to a different kind of treatment plant. See you at the Moa Point Wastewater treatment plant.

Trent.

Wednesday 24 May

Kia ora,

Today I found out how wastewater is made clean at the wastewater plant. Large solids and rubbish are screened out and then smaller solids settle out in tanks. Good bacteria are then added to the wastewater and finally UV light is used to kill harmful bacteria making the water clean enough to release into the sea. Back in the bad old days, wastewater wasn't treated and was pumped into the sea causing lots of pollution.

I can’t believe that tomorrow is the last day of our field trip. I’m off to get a good night’s sleep so I can make the most of it.

See you tomorrow,

Trent.

Thursday 25 May

Kia ora,

Wellington treated us to a brilliant day today. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was almost like summer. We made the most of the good weather by travelling all over the place to find out more about stormwater.

Stormwater is all the rain water that flows over the ground and it doesn’t have to be that stormy to produce stormwater. This water flows down gutters and into drains which lead to the sea or into rivers or lakes. This water isn’t treated so it is really important that we keep it clean. 

Well it has been an amazing field trip but I can’t wait to get home to share more of my adventure with you all.

See you soon,

Trent.