The Future Water Story is a brand new learning experience at the Western Treatment Plant, essential for learning about water in the world.
Using the latest technology and a behind the scenes tour, students are immersed in the world of water. This unique experience guides students through the importance of water to life and liveability, and how we will need to make our cities future-ready and sustainable.
Bookings open for 2025
Book now for 2025 and get a limited, early discount: $360 per group (maximum 30 students).
This is a full-day experience, running 10am–2pm.
The experience
The Future Water Story includes two activities: a Circular Cities Digital Challenge, and a Systems and Innovation tour. The experience presents teachers and visitors with a unique end-to-end experience that:
- provides hands-on, enquiry-based learning
- brings in real world connection to classroom content
- fosters critical and creative thinking
- enables active citizenship and social responsibility
- aligns to the Victorian Curriculum
- delivered by passionate and experienced educators.
Learn more about each activity:
- Circular Cities Challenge
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Students will discover how their decisions can impact the sustainability of a city, how alternate water sources can improve sustainability, and learn how managing competing interests and planning a city can be challenging.
Students will work in teams and collaborate to complete problem-solving activities, they will synthesise and analyse information from multiple sources and make observations and describe changes over time to the city they are creating.
- Systems and Innovation tour
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Students will discover the important role the Western Treatment Plant has in ensuring the liveability of Melbourne, and they will learn how wastewater is treated and how it is sustainably recycled and reused.
Students will explore the plant by bus, they will make observations about the location of the Western Treatment Plant and see the different land uses.
For more information, download our brochure:
Learning outcomes
Our resources are curriculum-aligned, and enable you and your students to get the best learning experience.
- Year 7 & 8
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The experience is designed to explore the concepts of Water in the World at a local scale.
The experience also links to: Science, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability and Ethical Capability.
Student learning outcomes:
- Explain the different methods to overcome water scarcity, by both reducing demand and increasing supply through alternate water sources
- Know that water is a scarce resource, and it needs to be managed to ensure water security
- Know that Melbourne’s liveability depends on a safe and secure supply of water as well as treating wastewater
- Understand that Melbourne's water security will be impacted by climate change.
Year 7 & 8 Victorian Curriculum version 2.0 links
Geography VC2HG8K01, VC2HG8K02, VC2HG8K03, VC2HG8K04, VC2HG8K05, VC2HG8K06, VC2HG8S02, VC2HG8S03, VC2HG8S04, VC2HG8S06 Science VC2S8U09, VC2S8H02, VC2S8H03 Critical and Creative Thinking VC2CC8Q02, VC2CC8R01, VC2CC8R02, C2CC8R04, VC2CC8M03 Personal and Social Capability VC2CP8O01, VC2CP8O04, VC2CP8O05 Ethical Capability VC2CE8U02, VC2CE8D01 - Year 9 & 10
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The experience links to the geography unit Environmental Change and Management.
The experience also links to: Science, History, Civics & Citizenship, Business & Economics, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability and Ethical Capability.
Student learning outcomes:
- Know that water is a scarce resource, and it needs to be managed to ensure water security
- Understand how people’s environmental worldviews impact their decision making
- Know that a safe and secure supply of water and sanitation are key measures of human wellbeing
- Describe how climate change will impact water security in Melbourne.
Year 9 & 10 Victorian Curriculum version 2.0 links
Geography VC2HG10K10, VC2HG10K11, VC2HG10K13, C2HG10K14, VC2HG10K15, VC2HG10K16, VC2HG10S02, VC2HG10S03, VC2HG10S04, VC2HG10S05, VC2HG10S06, VC2HG10S07 History
VC2HH10K11, VC2HH10K36, VC2HH10S05 Science
VC2S10H02, VC2S10H03, VC2S10H04, VC2S10U11 Civics and Citizenship
VC2HC10K09, VC2HC10K10, VC2HC10S02 Economic and Business
VC2HE10S03, VC2HE10S04, C2HE10S05 Critical and Creative Thinking
VC2CC10Q02, VC2CC10R01, VC2CC10R02, VC2CC10R03, VC2CC10R04, VC2CC10M02 Personal and Social Capability
VC2CP10O01, VC2CP10O04, VC2CP10O05 Ethical Capability
VC2CE10U02, VC2CE10D01, VC2CE10D02 Intercultural capability VC2CI10D02 - VCE
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The Future Water Story experience is a unique learning experience for students studying Environmental Science, Outdoor and Environmental Education or Systems Engineering.
Student learning outcomes:
- Learn about sustainable development in practice
- Find out about different stakeholders and their perspectives in making management decisions
- Examine how climate change is impacting water security and and how plans today can impact the future
- Explore the competing uses and demands of the site - sewage treatment and wetland management.
Plan your visit
- Before your visit
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Before you visit the Western Treatment Plant, we need you to:
- Read and understand the safety instructions of the site
- Note the map and location where the buses park
- Allocate students into groups
- Advise students what they need to bring: packed lunch, pen/ pencil and clipboard
- During your visit
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All activities will be delivered by our Water Literacy Officers, who will facilitate the Circular Cities Challenge and lead the Systems and Innovation Tour.
- After your visit
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In our after the tour lesson, students review and reflect on the decisions they made and consider actions they can take to use water more efficiently.
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