2023: WateReuse Association’s Award of Excellence

Select Year: 2023

Irvine Ranch Water District received the national WateReuse Association’s Award of Excellence in Outreach and Education for its new gamified, 360-degree Virtual Recycled Water Adventure created in partnership with Discovery Cube Orange County.

This digital learning tool allows students to explore and learn about recycled water with 360-degree video that pairs an Operations staff member with a computer-generated robot named “Cleanbot.” Together, they take students on an interactive adventure through IRWD’s Michelson Water Recycling Plant with a series of gamified activities that include:

(1) identifying non-flushable items in the sewer water at the headworks;

(2) watching a video of Cleanbot singing about FOG – and how clogs drive her crazy;

(3) “swimming” in activated sludge, identifying key microorganisms in the process, and chomping away at flock like they do;

(4) zapping pathogens with UV light; and

(5) learning all the important benefits of recycled water in the community.

Watch a quick two-minute demonstration video about the project.

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