Utilities Facility Tours
Pinellas County Utilities’ facility tours are designed for middle and high school students grades 6-12, college classes, technical programs, professional groups and anyone else who wants to learn more about the inner workings of wastewater reclamation and our water treatment facilities!
If visiting a wastewater treatment facility, be prepared to encounter mild to strong odors along the tour route. Depending on your tour location, walking and stair climbing could be involved. Please indicate on the tour request form below if your group requires specific accommodations.
Safety Information
Operational Water and Wastewater Treatment facilities, like our South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Reclamation Facility, William E. Dunn Water Reclamation Facility and Keller Water Treatment Facility, pose various hazardous conditions, including exposure to bloodborne pathogens, industrial chemicals, slipping, tripping, and fall hazards, electrical and mechanical equipment, and heat illness. It is imperative that all tour participants follow directions provided during the tour and adhere to safety rules and protocols presented by tour guides and plant personnel.
Tour FAQs
How many people can come on the tour?
Each facility has different tour capacities based on space and safety. If you are interested in bringing a school group on a tour, the tour capacities below include both students and adults.
- South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Reclamation Facility: 42 individuals
- William E. Dunn Water Reclamation Facility: 15 individuals
- Keller Water Treatment Facility: 10 individuals
- Logan Laboratory & Pumping Station: 10 individuals
How does our group move around the facility?
Depending on the facility, tour group size and tour route, the tour will involve movement to different facility locations via tram, golf cart or walking. Regardless of facility chosen for the tour, please ensure your group comes prepared for extended periods of outdoor exposure and a moderate amount of walking between tour stations.
What should I wear?
To ensure everyone’s safety, all tour attendees must wear flat, closed-toe shoes, sneakers or work boots that will not slide off your feet. Each of our facilities is located across several acres, requiring travel both indoors and outdoors. We recommend wearing a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and loose-fitting athletic clothing with sleeves.
What should I bring?
We recommend bringing a drink with a lid, such as a water bottle. We ask you refrain from using electronic devices such as cell phones during the tour to maintain situational awareness (i.e. walking through buildings and/or climbing stairs). Also, be sure to bring a positive attitude and excitement to learn more about your Pinellas County Utilities facilities!
Can I bring lunch on the tour?
Depending on the facility you tour, there may be classroom space or picnic tables available for groups to have lunch after their tour is complete. This information is shown on the tour form below. Please indicate on the form if your group is interested in eating lunch at the facility.
How long is a facility tour?
Each facility tour will begin with a brief classroom presentation, which provides an introduction to Pinellas County Utilities and the specific facility where the tour will be conducted. The duration of the tour will vary from 1 to 2.5 hours, depending on group size, chosen facility and included activities. If your group must work within strict time restraints, please indicate this on the Tour Request Form.
What is a Pinellas County Utilities Learning Lab?
As an optional addition to your tour experience, groups can choose to participate in a Pinellas County Utilities Learning Lab. These lessons are designed to provide more information about additional Utilities related topics through hand-on activities, experiments and laboratory style investigations. The current Learning Labs offerings are outlined below:
Florida’s Freshwater Resource – 60 minutes
Participants will gain a comprehensive overview of where Pinellas County’s water comes from through an investigative lab that guides participants through building their own aquifer models. Resource conservation will be heavily emphasized, focusing groundwater and surface water interactions, the requirements for groundwater to be a renewable resource, and the identification of different types of contamination to groundwater and how to prevent these different sources of pollution.
Water Conservation – 45 minutes
Participants will gain a comprehensive overview of the water cycle, where Pinellas County’s water starts, how it is treated and sent to their taps, and why it is important to conserve this freshwater resource. Personal water footprint calculation and a group activity focusing on water conservation strategies will be utilized to enhance participant understanding on these concepts.
Water Quality Monitoring – 60 minutes
Participants will gain a comprehensive overview of where Pinellas County’s water comes from, what happens to this water once it goes down the drain, and the importance of the County’s surface water quality monitoring efforts. Participants will engage in a lab activity that leads them through different water quality parameter testing procedures. Data analysis and discussion will also be heavily emphasized at the end of the lab, focusing on the why’s behind any consistencies or inconsistencies found through the data collection process.