Lansdale’s Wastewater Treatment Plant will open its doors on Thursday for a behind-the-scenes tour as a part of the monthly Civics 101 event series.
The tour includes a look at the facilities and how various processes that take place with testing water. It also includes a look at buildings that hold different chemicals. Attendees also have the opportunity to talk to employees who do this every day, giving those who come a chance to meet those who work behind the scenes in Lansdale to make sure everything runs smoothly. These tours are not a regular thing; they are a part of the Civics 101 program.
The Civics 101 program was started by Councilwoman Carrie Hawkins-Charlton in 2016. The first few events were courses about the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government within the Lansdale Borough and expanded to include various departments in 2017.
“When I got on council in 2016, I realized that a lot of local residents don’t attend any of the meetings, so I tried to brainstorm a way to get more residents involved in their local government,” said Hawkins-Charlton. “It’s just a great way to get them involved without just coming to the normal business meetings.”
According to Hawkins-Charlton, about 10 to 15 residents attend the events each month.
“My hope is that more residents take advantage of the program so we can continue doing it,” she said.
The goal of the Civics 101 program is to get people involved with local government and to inform residents on the processes of the government and the departments within the Lansdale Borough and meet the employees who work hard each day to make things happen.
According to Tracy Flynn, the communications coordinator for Lansdale Borough, it also gives residents a chance to talk to government and department employees face-to-face and to provide feedback to staff members.
“They truly are a way to engage, learn and share ideas,” Flynn said. “Everyone sees the big orange trucks at a light pole or the public works crews out painting street lines, but these workshops really offer us a chance to build a community of well-informed, engaged citizens by sharing what we do.”
The tour begins at 7 p.m. at the plant, which is located at 649 West 9th Street. The event is free and is open to people of all ages, including children.
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