Edible aquifer

Awesome Aquifer Activity

Posted September 30, 2020

Experiment: An edible aquifer at home

Looking for a hands-on science activity you can do at home? Try this fun an educational experiment from the comfort of your kitchen. You and your family can build a tasty aquifer that shows how human activity can have an effect on groundwater.

Groundwater is a vital resource, as it makes up a portion of our essential freshwater that is used for drinking, cooking, irrigation, and other everyday activities. During this activity, kids can hypothesize, then observe, how water moves through the aquifer and how potentially harmful substances (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) can migrate through the groundwater. Those substances can come from a variety of sources such as agricultural, commercial, and industrial land application or other waste byproducts.

What is an aquifer?

Aquifers are made from rocks and soil that become saturated with water over time. Rocks underground have many small pore spaces, and therefore the porous layer can become saturated with water. Groundwater flows underground in those aquifers and is typically pumped out of the ground by drilling a deep well. Groundwater from aquifers can be used for several purposes, including irrigation, thermoelectric power, and drinking water. Groundwater is different than surface water. Surface water is the water that makes up the beautiful bodies of water we love such as lakes, rivers, and streams. Surface water is often used as a public water supply that goes through a water treatment process before entering our homes. This treated water has to meet drinking water standards that protect human health. Whereas, groundwater we typically find in wells does not have to go through a regulated water treatment process before reaching our faucets at home.

It is easy to forget that harmful substances can get into our groundwater. Pesticides, fertilizers, and other potentially harmful substances that easily dissolve in water can move with water through those small pores to remain in the saturated groundwater layer. Water from wells is not always tested or treated for potentially harmful substances; therefore, humans and animals could become exposed to those substances.

The best way to work toward a healthier groundwater environment is to be thoughtful about what and how much of those potentially harmful substances we apply to the land. We can protect groundwater through the use of best management practices such as using only what is needed and in the proper way.

Build your tasty treat aquifer

This is a great activity to teach young ones at home that what we do on land can have an effect on underlying soils and our sources of groundwater. Being thoughtful environmental stewards can move us one step closer to healthy water supplies and that we should preserve for our future generations.

Materials and instructions

Step 1: Building the aquifer

You will need:

Vanilla ice cream – of any kind
Clear cup (1 per person)
Soda – your favorite
Sprinkles or other toppings
Crushed Oreo, ice, or other types of small treats
Straw
Spoon

Step 1: Build your aquifer

First put down the rock – porous layer with ice, crushed Oreos, or other crunchy treats. Then, on top of that layer; apply a thick layer of vanilla ice cream, which represents a tight clay-confining soil layer on top of the aquifer. Use a spoon to build a thick layer in a clear cup.

Step 2: Add some “potentially harmful substances”

Step 2: Admire and observe your beautiful aquifer layers. By this stage, the kids might start to notice some “substances” seeping into the aquifer layers!

Once you have a tightly sealed aquifer, pour soda on top of the ice cream aquifer and rock layer. While you are applying the “substances” to the land layer, you can ask the kiddos what kind of potentially harmful materials they might find on the ground outside. Note how the “substance” does not sink to the bottom of the cup right away. This is a fun time to have the kids hypothesize about how the “substance” could migrate down into the aquifer layer. You can top the soda with sprinkles or small candies to act as additional fertilizer or pesticides being introduced into the aquifer.

Step 3: Drill into the aquifer

Grab your straw, and use it as a drill to reach all the way down to the aquifer layer. Watch how the “substance” slowly starts to trickle down into the aquifer and groundwater.

Step 4: Pump the aquifer

After observing the “substance” migrating into the aquifer layer, the kids can now pump their delicious treat with their straw by drinking up the yummy layers! While this is a delicious example, it is important to note that groundwater can easily become affected if we are not good stewards of our land.

Step 3: Time to drill

We hope you enjoy this experiment at home, as it provides insight to how aquifers work. If you are interested in similar educational activities or need assistance with your groundwater or other hydrogeology-related projects, send us a message at info@synterracorp.com.

This project was adapted from similar groundwater actives by Kaleigh Sims, an environmental toxicologist at SynTerra. Ms. Sims has previously worked on a variety of environmental education projects and lessons for all age groups. Many of those lessons can be found using Project WET or other online sources and are adapted to meet specific curricula or other scientific and environmental educational needs.

Kathy Webb, P.G.

Senior Market Leader | Principal

Kathy Webb, who co-founded SynTerra (then known as The Fletcher Group) in 1992, has completed remedial investigations and regulatory compliance projects associated with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facilities, state and federal Superfund sites, solid waste landfills, brownfield redevelopment, utility coal combustion residual (CCR) management units, and regulated industrial facilities. She has supported litigation as an expert witness related to chlorinated solvents, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Kathy is known for her practical assessment strategy with the perspective of the client’s business objectives. She routinely evaluates groundwater corrective action systems for effectiveness and progress toward achieving compliance objectives. She has co-authored a trade journal paper with case studies of low-impact remedial strategies. Kathy is a licensed Professional Geologist in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Mark Taylor, P.G.

Principal

Mark has worked more than 40 years in natural-resource based industries. His expertise includes mine geology and mine engineering, hydrogeologic and geotechnical investigations, solid and hazardous waste management, and regulatory negotiations. He has published peer-reviewed papers about coal geology, ore geochemistry, mineralogy, and solid waste management. He is a leading expert in mining and environmental permitting for litigation support.

Mark is licensed as a Professional Geologist in South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Washington. He serves on the boards of the Upstate Red Cross and Upstate Forever. He served on the South Carolina Board of Registration for Geologists for six years. Mark holds a Master’s degree in Geological Sciences from The University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s degree in Geological Science from Harvard University.

Andrea Kehn, P.E.

Vice President of Engineering | Principal

Andrea Kehn, leader of our Civil & Environmental Engineering Business Unit, has 28 years of experience in chemical manufacturing and environmental consulting. She leads and supervises staff professionals on multidisciplinary projects for a variety of industrial clients. Andrea’s vast experience and expertise includes: air quality construction and operating permitting; air quality modeling; air permit record-keeping and reporting; Oil Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP); NPDES permitting; water quality modeling; process safety management; risk management compliance and auditing; and RCRA compliance.

Andrea is registered as a Professional Engineer in South Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Ruth Albright, P.E.

Vice President | Principal

Ruth has led projects for major industrial facilities throughout the Southeast and beyond. She built her knowledge of environmental regulations and their application to manufacturing operations while working for the second largest chemical manufacturing company in the United States. At SynTerra, she has expanded both her knowledge and reputation working for chemical manufacturing operations of all sizes. She has also worked extensively with other manufacturing operations, including pulp and paper, industrial equipment, pharmaceuticals, food, and automotive parts and assembly. Her experience includes air and wastewater permit compliance, solid and hazardous waste management, solid waste construction permitting, hazardous materials transportation, wastewater treatment systems, air pollution control equipment operations and maintenance, and ambient air monitoring systems.

Ruth is a professional engineer registered in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Michigan, Arkansas, and Kentucky. She is an active member of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Environmental Technical Committee and serves as the chair of the water subcommittee. She has previously served as the program and committee chair for the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce Environmental Affairs committee. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University.