River Legacy Living Science Center’s W.A.T.E.R. Festival Makes a Splash This Saturday

By Kimberly Idrogo

Posted on September 07, 2017, September 07, 2017

Come celebrate the wonderful resource of water with The City of Arlington's Water Utilities as it joins forces with River Legacy Living Science Center to raise awareness for the importance of water education and conservation.

The 13th annual Water Awareness through Education and Recreation (W.A.T.E.R.) Festival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, September 9 at River Legacy Living Science Center, 703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd. This event is free to the public and will include a variety of family-friendly activities, crafts, games and demonstrations.

This year's festival features three new water quality and testing demonstrations that are geared for participants of all ages, Science Center senior naturalist Shannon Porter said. Through these activities, families will be given knowledge and tools to make a real difference in water conservation in their homes and communities.

"The Science Center will be able to supply, at certain activities, a hand lens and/or dip net for each child participant at that activity," Porter said. "This is an exciting new addition which will allow children and families to truly engage in the hands-on experiences at the Water Festival."

The inspiration behind River Legacy's W.A.T.E.R. Festival was first realized through Make A Splash with Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). Established in 1984, Project WET is an international water science and education program dedicated to teaching children around the world about water stewardship and conservation, Porter said.

River Legacy Living Science Center has been practicing water conservation techniques and educating the public about water since it was built in 1996 as Arlington's first sustainably designed building and one of the first commercial properties to use a gray water system of plumbing. This underground system captures the runoff from drinking fountains and sink materials; then stores, treats and recycles it for use in the landscaped areas complementing the structure, Porter said.

"The festival's name has changed but our mission has not! It is important to bring awareness about WATER and draw attention to the vital role this precious resource plays in our everyday lives," she said.