Presented by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment

In Ontario, our water goes on quite a journey to reach our taps, safe and ready to drink. One of many important steps in this process is filtration, which uses layers to sift contaminants out of the water. See how water gets cleaned by building a simple filtration system from recycled plastic (the real process is a lot more intense, but this should give you an idea of the basics of filtration).

What you need:

• One 2L plastic pop bottle
• Fine sand, coarse sand, and rocks (you can buy all of these items at a craft store or you can collect them at the beach or river bed. If you get them from nature, make sure you sift them first to get as many living things out before you bring it home)
• Coffee filter or J-cloth
• Elastic
• Tape
• Scissors
• Dirt and a glass of water

What you need to do:

1. 1. Wash your pop bottle, then cut it in half so the top with the lid is separated from the base.
2. 2. Take the cap off and secure a coffee filter or J-cloth to the top of the bottle with the elastic and then with tape. You now have a filter ready to be filled! Place it inside the bottom half of your pop bottle (with the coffee filter end facing down).
3. 3. Pour a layer of fine sand into the top of the pop bottle, followed by a layer of coarse sand, and then the rocks.

Unleash your inner “Mad Eco-Scientist”

1. 1. Get a glass of clean water and a glass of water filled with dirt.
2. 2. Pour the clean water slowly into your filter and let it sit. Be patient, it will take a bit to get through all those layers.
3. 3. Once the water has filtered through, dump it back into the glass. Now pour the dirty water into your filtration system. Once it has made its way through the filter, compare the two samples (FYI, DO NOT drink the water samples).

As you can see, filtration is a very effective system for cleaning your water. So, the next time you’re thirsty, say no to bottled water and say yes to tap water!

Download the Ministry of the Environment’s Tap vs Bottled Water Article and Activity

Help the Ministry of the Environment and Earth Rangers


protect our natural world. Together we can make a difference.

http://www.ontario.ca/protectingourwater

http://www.ontario.ca/protegernotreeau

Earth Rangers is a non-profit organization that works to inspire and educate children about the environment. At EarthRangers.com kids can play games, discover amazing facts, meet animal ambassadors and fundraise to protect biodiversity.