The Waterboy is, as his name indicates, enthusiastic about water. Throughout the programme, he relates facts relating to the subject and introduces us to others involved in the business of getting water in and out of our homes efficiently.

All his conversations are conducted through the pipes, and we’re introduced to the role of the local water service and its job of capturing water in the Mournes, storing it in the Spelga Damn until it settles, then piping the cleaner water near the surface down to the water treatment works. There, the water is cleaned and piped to taps and toilets for our use, then, as dirty water, finds its way down the plugholes, drains and sewers to the next treatment works. There, solids and debris are removed; the water is cleaned again, and pumped out to sea to begin its journey back to the mountains.

We meet the plumber who explains his job of fitting kitchen and bathroom appliances, of checking drains, looking after boilers and installing central heating systems. He describes his training for the job and the skills he needs for making accurate measurements when cutting pipes.

At the college we hear from the man who trains plumbers. He relates the qualities and skills required and enthuses Waterboy to work hard so he can train to be a plumber.

The hardware shop owner talks us through the gadgets and gizmos and assures us that he stocks all a plumber would need.

We find out how important water is for our survival and health, that the Celsius scale is determined by water’s boiling and freezing points and that there’s the same amount of water on the earth now as when the earth was formed. Finally, we find out that for all the water on the planet, we use only 1 percent of it; the seas contain 97 percent and the remaining 2 percent is found frozen in the polar icecaps and glaciers.
 

 
By the end of the programme pupils should:

 
WORKSHEETS

 
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