Escalão A2 | Article in english

Our school: a source of pollution?
Escola Profissional Agrícola Conde S.Bento, Santo Tirso
Escola Profissional Agrícola Conde S.Bento, Santo Tirso04/05/2009

Resumo

Last year we participated in the Young Reporters for the Environment with a Project about the pollution of the Ave River (one of the most polluted rivers of Portugal). Nevertheless we didn't realize that our own school, where we developed the project, could also be a pollutant source. This year this issue was chosen as our main concern.

Artigo

Our school: a source of pollution?

THE PROBLEM

One of the reasons for our astonishment was the fact that in the year 2007/2008, our school was awarded the prize Eco-Schools, which made us feel even more responsible for the environment of the school. Thus, we will evaluate the school's pollution impact in the Ave River, identify all the pollution sources and find solutions for these problems.

Research about the problem

The school has always shown environmental concern as regards the waste separation; however, the need for treatment of the pollution sources only became relevant after the School was awarded the Eco-Schools prize.

School's sources of pollution found:

- Leachate of the excrements and fat from the cow-shed yard, which is sent to the Matadouro brook

- The residues from the cellar, the laboratories, the kitchens, the bathrooms, which are sent directly to the Ave River.

- Pluvial waters stream that transports pollutant substances from illegal sewerage connections, which also flow to the Ave River.

The cow fat excrements are a liquid pollutant, dark coloured and with a nauseous smell which give origin to biological, chemical and physical processes from the organic residues' decomposition. These processes, added to rain water, are the responsible for the leaching of the organic compounds existing in the landfills for the environment. The fat has a high concentration of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand).

That liquid may reach the groundwater, polluting that natural resource. The high organic charge existing in the fat makes it extremely pollutant and harmful to the affected area.

Intervention:

We wanted to discover if this problem had already been analyzed by someone from our school community and if any solution had already been found. We went to the field searching for answers. We started by interviewing one of the oldest school workers, Mr. Serafim Moreira, who gave us important data related to this issue as well as the map regarding the sewer system designed for the school.

We were informed that this problem had already been detected by many agricultural technicians, school workers and teachers.

The necessity to legalize the cow-shed in 2005 also brought the necessity to give a solution to the question of the leachate of the fat and excrements proceeding from the cow-shed yard, which were and are directly launched in the Matadouro brook. ( a small water stream which crosses the school and flows into the main River) Together with a TRATAVE (Firm for residual waters treatment) technician, the school worker above mentioned designed a project for four internal sewerage systems that has been presented to the local Town Hall. ( pages 5,6 ) The local Town Hall showed interest in the project and asked two contractors to present a budget for this project.

Two budgets were presented, between 25.000 and 30.000 Euros. The school direction presented to DREN (Northern Education Regional Direction) these proposals. DREN showed interest in the accomplishment of the project. Yet, until now, there was no practical answer.

Since the problem is not yet solved, and because we want and deserve a better school, we decided to send a letter to DREN exposing this issue and asking for a quick intervention ( page7 ). To this letter we attached a document with the signatures of all the school students. To get the students support we visited all classes to make them aware of the problem and explain our proposal of intervention.

Attachment

Santo Tirso, 3rd March 2009

We, students of the Escola Profissional Agricola Conde S. Bento, would like to alert you to the serious environmental issue with involve our school.

As you must be aware by now, our school doesn't have any kind of sewer system to treat the effluents coming from the cow shed, laboratories, kitchen, bathrooms, boarding-school, wine-cellar, bar, etc. The pluvial waters stream also joins this effluent which transports polluents, coming from Santo Tirso. Without this sewer system, the residual water is being directly sent to the Ave River.

Being our river is one of the most polluted of Portugal, we are worried about the fact that we also are contributing to this problem.

We have been informed that it has already been presented to you a project for a sewer system with an estimated budget between the 25.000/30.000 Euros. In our opinion, this is a small amount if compared with the benefits the referred net will bring to the environment.

What makes us sad is that our school has been awarded with the green flag of the Eco-schools program and it is contributing to the Ave river pollution.

Taking the several reasons above exposed into consideration we ask you to help us to solve this serious problem and make our environment healthier. Yours sincerely, The students from Escola Profissional Agricola Conde S. Bento

Escola Profissional Agrícola Conde S.Bento, Santo Tirso, Portugal.