Written by: Isabel Reyes, 10th‑Grade Chemistry Teacher, DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School
What would happen in a world without water? What if Denver ran out of it? Those questions launched twelve freshmen and sophomores at DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School into a months‑long exploration of the city’s most precious resource.
December – Learning the Basics
In partnership with Denver Water, students spent a day with water‑education specialist Ellen Olson, modeling how Colorado’s population growth strains an already‑stressed supply. They mapped where Denver’s water originates, traced its journey across the state, and debated regulations that govern every drop. “Students were actively asking questions—with a high level of interest and curiosity,” notes chemistry teacher Isabel Reyes.
By the end of the workshop each team had filed a project proposal (due Dec 12, 2024) and committed to a May 1, 2025 completion date.
Student projects in their own words
January 15 – Hands‑on filtration
Back in the lab, students built small‑scale filtration units, mixed treatment chemicals, ran turbidity tests, and completed a cost analysis—experiencing “what a scientist working in our water‑purification teams would go through in real life,” Isabel says. Two Water Club teams adopted purification as the core of their final projects.
February 4 – Inside a recycling plant
Hard hats on, notebooks out—the club toured Denver Water’s Recycling Treatment Plant in Commerce City. Guiding them through restricted areas, Mr. Nathan fielded rapid‑fire questions: What chemicals are essential for purification? Where is clearer legislation needed? How do water rights work? Students also took home information on internships and water‑industry careers.
February 13 – Water workforce career fair
At CSU Spur’s Hydro building, club members networked with professionals and peers from across the state. “Our school community is very proud of our representatives,” Isabel reports.
Looking Ahead: Earth Day & beyond
On February 27 the club drafted plans for an Earth Day trash‑collection contest (“Physics vs. Chemistry—winner gets donuts!”). They led a morning meeting where they shared information about their MME Filter project, which aims to make clean water accessible to everyone.
The prototype is a gravity‑based filter that layers sand, gravel, and activated charcoal. It clarifies the water, but trace chemicals remain—still safe for the human body to break down.
Research showed that chlorine is the only chemical that reliably kills all viruses, so the students added a controlled chlorine dose delivered through an IV bag. During their Denver Water tour, they learned a single drop can treat jugs of dirty water, and an IV bag is both easy to find and built to release precise droplets.
Following the presentation, the students went around and collected over 20 pounds of trash for the physics vs. chemistry contest.
Nothing can slow these students! Supported by school leaders, teachers, and partners like Denver Water, the Water Club is proving that rigorous science can be social, creative, and deeply connected to real‑world challenges. Their projects may start in Green Valley Ranch, but the solutions they discover could ripple far beyond Denver.