School Districts and Solutions to Water Challenges

In the spring of 2010 ERC, working with the Fridley Minnesota School District, received grant support from the Medtronic Foundation, the Rice Creek Watershed, and the Environmental Protection Agency to create a pilot project among a number of school districts to both enhance the educational experience regarding water and environment and to facilitate school property modeling new advancements in property management and water ecology.

This paper both describes state-of-the-art knowledge about water and water ecology in a form that may be helpful in enhancing water education and provides descriptions of some of the problems encountered in school property with the management of water. Particularly property management and its relationship to both disease and water pollution is discussed. Best practices regarding both teaching about 21st century water issues and managing complex school property are still emerging but this document provides timely insight into both issues.