At Scarborough Sanitary District, we believe that knowledge is the key to fostering a more sustainable future. That’s why we offer educational tours designed to provide a practical understanding of sewage systems and wastewater management in Scarborough. We extend an open invitation to all — from children to adults — to explore our district facilities firsthand.
The Scarborough Sanitary District operates on a budget of approximately $3 million per year, silently running 24/7 in the background. Each year, we convey and treat over 425 million gallons of wastewater, removing approximately 95% of the pollutants for less than 1 cent per gallon. This diligent work protects the beautiful beaches we all enjoy so much.
Our educational tours are designed to provide a practical understanding of sewage systems and wastewater management in Scarborough; ideal for high schools, girl scouts, boy scouts, and other youth groups. The tours offer an opportunity to witness how municipal wastewater systems operate, understand effluent sewage treatment processes, and learn their critical role in maintaining community health and environmental protection.
But learning with us isn’t just informative – it’s engaging too! We aim to spark curiosity and inspire a sense of responsibility towards environmental protection. So come along, explore, learn, and be part of our journey towards a cleaner, healthier Scarborough.
A tour of our facility showcases the wide skill set needed to run a wastewater treatment facility, revealing many potential career opportunities. Here are some of the subjects we touch on in our operation:
- Science: Our operators need to understand the biological components of wastewater treatment to manage our operations effectively.
- Technology: Computers play a significant role in starting and stopping equipment, monitoring and recording operations, and sending out alarms when things go wrong.
- Maintenance: Our mechanics maintain all of our equipment and vehicles, keeping our grounds looking good.
- Emergency Response: Quick and effective response is necessary when unexpected issues arise to reduce the impact on the environment.
- Engineering: A lot of engineering goes into maintaining and upgrading a large facility like ours.
- Management: Facility management includes daily operations, asset repair and replacement, rate structure development, and future planning.
Contact us to learn more about Education & Tours
View some past tours at the Scarborough Sanitary District
Wentworth School STEAM Night
The Scarborough Sanitary District presented at the Wentworth School’s STEAM night on March 3rd. We had the use of an Eviroscape Model that simulates storm water run-off pollution, an effluent identification contest where the students tried to identify treated wastewater amongst several other water samples, a microscope set up to view the microbiology used in the treatment of wastewater, and fun stickers for the kids. Pictures below:
Girl Scout Tour
AP Environmental Field Trip:
On April 8th, Albert McCormack’s Scarborough High School’s AP Environmental class, toured the Scarborough Sanitary District’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. The tour went great and the kids had some great questions. The teacher promised to be back next year and was going to suggest the tour to other teachers including those with an engineering focus.
