OSAGE CITY, Kan. – On April 14, 2026, 34 students and six teachers from Osage City High School, West Franklin High School, and Marais des Cygnes Valley Junor High School spent the morning at Osage City Community Building learning about the water industry and careers available in the industry.
Kansas Rural Water Association hosted “Explore Careers in Water”, and provided students educational information through a series of learning stations and hands-on activities.
The day started with donuts and an introduction by KRWA. Students learned about the importance of water and the work that goes on behind the scenes to make water safe to drink and safe to release back to the environment. The students were divided into seven groups that rotated every 15 minutes at the stations, where they learned about different aspects of the water industry.
One station gave students an inside look the KRWA training trailer used for training water and wastewater apprentices. The trailer is equipped with a variety of equipment and parts necessary for the everyday operation, maintenance, and repair of water and wastewater systems.
At another station, students learned about how water operators listen for leaks in underground water lines by using an electroacoustic leak detector. The students were able to practice their leak detection skills by listening for leaks.
At the “Super Bowl Surge,” students learned about wastewater flows and what happens at halftime of the Super Bowl when an influx of wastewater enters the sewer collection system. They also learned about the problems that can occur when a line is clogged with items that should not be flushed down the toilet.
A groundwater model demonstration showed the flow of water and toxins through differing gradients in a porous medium. Students were able to see water flow through confined and unconfined aquifers as well as the effects of pumping on these aquifers.
At the fifth station, students learned about the water treatment process – starting with raw water, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection. The students were able to create their own water filter using a plastic 2-liter bottle, coffee filter, gravel, sand, and granular carbon.
Kansas 811 led a Dig Safe station, where students competed in a Dig Safe Game, and were quizzed about utilities that run underground and when to call before digging.
Another station introduced students to the Watershed Game with the Kansas Water Office. The game is an interactive simulation that helps the students understand relationships between land use, water quality, flood resilience, and their community.
A pizza luncheon was sponsored by Kansas 811, and students were given a final presentation about the variety of careers available in the water industry and the KRWA Apprenticeship Program.
The day concluded with a tour of the Osage City Water Treatment Plant.
For more information about the Kansas Rural Water Association, see krwa.net.
Information thanks to Monica Wurtz, Kansas Rural Water Association.
