We are students at the Green School in East Williamsburg Brooklyn. This website documents our investigation of the New York City water system. For this project we partnered with HabitatMap and used the "Go With the Flow" toolkit to master maps based research methods and apply them to uncover the workings of New York City's water storage, filtration, delivery, and disposal infrastructures. We learned a lot and you can too by clicking through our map, looking at our photos, and reading our learning reflections.

Who Cares About Water?

by Jorden Velazquez

Before I began this project, I really didn't care about the water and what could be in it. I didn't care much about how our water system works because I was just ignorant towards being healthy. I heard about Mexico having really bad water but I felt that wouldn't happen to the United States. I also didn't know of any companies that focus on cleaning the water. Now that the project is finished, I am familiar with the water world and how we try to keep it clean and have the world healthy. Visiting these water plant places made me realize that every body plays a part with the water, whether it'll be dirty or clean. There are ways for us to continue to have clean water but many people are blind and need the ability to see how important this is.

The Habit of Mind that this project involves the most is view point. View point because it all depends on how the person sees things. A person who really knows about the water will come up with many ways to keep it clean and how they can help others and themselves to keep getting clean water. Another person who doesn't know much about the water, wouldn't really try to work out ways to make sure they take in clean water, or even care to use less water. There are many view points between the ones who know and the ones who do not know.

The aspect of the research process that I find the most useful was the field trips, even though I wasn't able to make it to all of them, they were really useful. I learn much better when I see things in person and have someone explain what the objects are for. I'm grateful to be able to be a part of the trip and take in information other sources aren't able to provide. I enjoyed the trips I went on.

I researched human waste, pollution and contamination. I'm learning how people are tied to how we get our clean water. Researching this made me think about why many people don't recycle and create a better environment for others and their selves. This made me realize on how we the people play a big part in this system.

This connects to sustainable self because knowing the things around you, show that you are aware and that just makes you a better person. This connects to sustainable relationships because if you understand things around you, you will understand your self and better yourself and others. You and other people can create a relationship by sharing interest and understanding one another. This also connects to sustainable society and sustainable community because the companies are trying to better things for everyone and by doing that, both the people and companies are coming together to make things much better.