South Plains Water Expo 2016 Teaches Water Conservation to all Ages
From weather updates to wearable water cycles, there were attractions for every age during the recent
South Plains Water Expo at Frenship High School in Wolfforth. Approximately, 350 people attended the
event throughout the day.
Sessions for the adults included weather updates, Texas water law, an overview of the Wolfforth
Electrodialysis Reversal plant, rainwater harvesting and xeriscaping. Local vendors provided additional
resources relating to aquaponics, irrigation and groundwater.
As the adults listened to an array of topics, the younger crowd enjoyed their own “Walter Drop’s H2O
Discovery Tour.” Kids of all ages journeyed through the many activity stations where they learned about
the water cycle, water quality, water conservation and native wildlife with hands-on activities. The last
station on the discovery tour included a pledge to save water. Kids colored a cartoon “Walter Drop” and
signed their name to pledge their part in saving water.
While some stations were just for kids, two water taste test stations and one coloring contest station
featured voting for all attendees. Water samples from different treatment processes included filtered
rainwater, reclaimed wastewater and groundwater from a Wolfforth well. The reclaimed wastewater
won the taste test receiving 31 of the 62 votes cast. The second water taste station included flavored
water samples of apple cinnamon, raspberry orange, strawberry cucumber and cantaloupe. The favorite
flavor was cantaloupe. Visitors voted for their favorite art piece in the local elementary school coloring
contest. Winners of the coloring contest included:
People’s Choice Award: Brenlyn Wilson (Age 9)
Ryan Baker (6), Max Jeffreys (6) and Jocelyn Payne (6), Peyton Matschek (7), Kaitlyn Villarreal (8) and
Jack Tucker (8), Adisyn Elrod (10), Tammy Pham (10), Chandler Wilson (11), Lili Halsey (11) and Jacob
Maldonado (11).
Walter Drop and Biscuit the Dog mascot also made special appearances.
The grand finale was the performance by “The Green Magician Kevin Barnes.” While performing magic
tricks, Barnes stressed the importance of water conservation and reuse for a sustainable future.
Thank you to everyone who attended the event, and the planning committee looks forward to next
year’s expo.
Learn more at the website www.spwaterexpo.org.
