Family-friendly event planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, the staff of the Sarasota County Public Utilities Department “will host H2-Oh! Expo, a community event filled with water and wastewater education for the whole family,” the staff has announced.
The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility, which stands at 5550 Lorraine Road in Sarasota, a news release says.
The Bee Ridge plant recently has “been converted to Advanced Water Treatment standards and expanded to meet the community’s growing demands,” the release points out. This family-friendly event will offer the public “an opportunity to check out the new facility while also learning about water and wastewater processes and how Sarasota County provides these essential services to the community,” the release adds.
Open to all ages, the event “will include a touch-a-truck experience, lawn games, educational activities, informational booths hosted by Sarasota County departments and more,” the release continues. Food trucks will be on-site “for guests who wish to purchase food or beverages, and free Kona Ice will be available to all guests,” the release notes.
Attendees age 5 and older will have the opportunity to participate in staff-led tours that will focus on how the new Advanced Water Treatment Facility functions, the release adds. The Bee Ridge plant “is Florida’s largest membrane bioreactor (MBR) facility,” the release points out.
“Closed-toe shoes are required for the tour and recommended for the event, which will be held outdoors,” the release continues. Further, it notes, “Attendees must be able to climb multiple steps” to take the tour.
“Through this event, Sarasota County Public Utilities hopes to engage the community in a fun-filled day for the whole family while educating our community about its essential resource — water,” Public Utilities Director Brooke Bailey said in the release. “By educating the next generation,” she added, “we are building tomorrow’s water and wastewater systems.”
The event also will feature activity booklets for children and “passports guiding guests to multiple Sarasota County booths, Sarasota County giveaways and more.”
The event, which will be ADA-compliant, will include accessible parking and free general parking on the site, the release adds. “Only service animals are permitted at the facility; no other pets are allowed,” it points out.
“Registration for the event is encouraged but not required. Learn more at scgov.net/H2O,” the release says.