National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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We are students from Anson Jones Elementary School and Rober Louis Stevenson Elementary School in Houston, Texas. We are learning about ways to keep our water supplies clean and save water too. We all need clean water to stay healthy.

At Stevenson Elementary, we are testing a sample of water for dissolved oxygen. The plants and animals in water need oxygen to survive. Polluted water sometimes doesn't have enough oxygen.

We work with the Texas Watch Program. We take samples of water from nearby rivers and test it for oxygen and some kinds of pollution. We also measure the temperature of the water. The Texas Watch program gives kids a chance to learn about water pollution and to help do something about it. There are over 2,500 teacher and student volunteers in Texas Watch. Most states volunteers in Texas Watch. Most states have programs like Texas Watch. You and your teacher can call the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators at (202) 293-7655 and find out what's happening in your part of the country.

At Anson Jones Elementary, we are learning to save water in our garden. We used native plants that don't need to be watered every day. We also made our own fertilizer by composting.

Here we are turning leaves in our compost bin. When the leaves rot, they will make a rich fertilizer that we can put on our garden. Adding compost helps the soil hold more water.

Here are some pictures of our schools at work!

Stevenson Elementary testing water samples	Working with the Texas Watch Program
Anson Jones Elementary tending their garden	Anson Jones Elementary's Compost Bin

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