Discover the source of your tap water at Cedar River Watershed

By Almeera Anwar

Ever wonder where your tap water originates? All summer long, the Cedar River Watershed has been offering tours for people to learn more about just that.

The tours are built for around 20 people and are two and a half hours long, much of which is spent on a small, comfortable tour bus. It starts at the Education Center which is an award-winning facility that serves as a model for green design in the Pacific Northwest. It also has a world-renowned rain drum installation that allows people to celebrate water the moment they arrive.

The tour itself weaves through Cedar River Watershed and is designed to be a “behind the scenes tour,” which allows people to see key features that are otherwise closed off to the general public. Stories about natural and cultural history are read along the way as well acs education about the process that the water goes through.

“The watershed is a hidden gem, most people have no idea it’s here and yet they are connected to it every day simply by using water,” said Julie Stonefelt, Senior Public Education Specialist for Seattle Public Utilities, “Tours offer a chance to experience it and understand how it gets from the forest to their faucet.”

They want as many people as possible to come through their tours so they intentionally leave the rates affordable at $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors for their Tap Water Tour.

There is also a family friendly tour that runs for a shorter period of time, about one hour, and is aimed to be more engaging for shorter attention spans. Tickets for that tour are $5 per person and children who can sit on their parents lap ride for free. All tours must be reserved in advance and can be booked through either phone or email. More information about the Cedar Watershed and the tours can be found in their 2012 Catalog.

Photos courtesy Julie Stonefelt