Regional Water Authority Education Program Overview

Water is one of our most precious—and endangered—natural resources. That’s why we offer environmental education programs to show people, especially kids, how their actions determine ecological quality. Using hands-on activities, we show them how human actions on land affect the quality of the region’s water resources. Along the way, we teach some science and have some fun.

Teaching people about water science is one of our most important jobs for the future; it is one way we work with consumers to prevent pollution of our region’s drinking water. By preventing contamination of our drinking water, we both protect public health and avoid the cost of cleaning up the environment.

Our Mission

Our mission is to create an educated constituency for clean water by increasing public understanding of how we define water quality, how we are preserving it, and how we are working to improve it. By presenting programs that stress enjoyable hands-on learning, we hope to create “informed consumers” who see the relationship between human activities and ecological impacts, enabling them to make intelligent decisions regarding the future of our environment.

The Whitney Water Center

The Regional Water Authority offers a wide variety of water science programs at the Whitney Water Center, an innovative environmental education center. At the Water Center, we offer hands-on education programs to school classes, scouts and other groups. We are located at 945 Whitney Avenue in Hamden near the New Haven town line.

Classroom Programs

You can visit the Water Center or you can invite the Regional Water Authority into your classroom to present some of the same hands-on water science education programs offered at the Whitney Water Center.

Water Science Loan Boxes

You can also borrow a Water Science Loan Box. Water Science Loan Boxes are self-contained teaching units. Each Loan Box contains everything you need to teach about some aspect of water science.

Project W.A.T.E.R.

Project W.A.T.E.R. (Watershed, Aquatic, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research) is a program for sixth- through eighth-grade students. After three or four classroom visits by a Regional Water Authority Educator, the Educator will pick up your group at your school and transport your students on the Project W.A.T.E.R. bus to the Mill River watershed in Hamden. The group will make several stops along the river to check temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and nitrate levels to assess the impact that human activities have on water quality. Afterwards, the Educator will help your students interpret the data they have collected. For information on Project W.A.T.E.R., call 203-777-1142.

Programs and Loan Boxes are FREE of charge for students from Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Killingworth, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Prospect, Regional District #16, Regional District #17, Seymour, West Haven and Woodbridge. Groups from other areas will be accepted on a space-availalble, fee basis.

More Information on All Education Programs

All programs are free for schools in our district*. For more information on Regional Water Authority education programs, call 203-777-1142.

*Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Killingworth, Madison, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Prospect, Regional District #16, Regional District #17, Seymour, West Haven and Woodbridge.

PDF Download

Download the Regional Water Authority Education Brochure.
The PDF includes the Water Science Loan Box Reservation Form.