Manchester Museum Display

DWI Manchester Museum Display

DWI is pleased to announced that it has set up an interactive display as part of the 'Underground Exhibit' at the Manchester museum. This display provides current information on drinking water for visitors of all backgrounds and ages.

In 2000 the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, www.msim.org.uk invited the Drinking Water Inspectorate to install a display which would form part of its own "Manchester Underground" Exhibit. The museum's exhibit reveals the gradual evolution of the water industry from early Roman times to present day. It shows that people through the ages often did not have clean water available, especially at times of population expansion. That the streams and rivers used to supply drinking water were often highly contaminated with human and industrial waste, causing thousands to die from waterborne diseases like cholera.

Today, thanks to a lot of hard work by the water companies and with DWI as regulator, our tap water is clean and very, very safe. The Inspectorate is there to enforce the legal standards for drinking water that make the water wholesome and fit to drink.

The display, consisting of three panels provides:

• accurate and objective information on drinking water quality in England and Wales.
• is relevant and interesting for visitors of all ages.
• is interactive - allowing visitors to select information of particular interest to them.

Panel 1

Water companies of England and Wales:

Visitors are able to select any one of the 26 water companies in England and Wales using the illuminated switches positioned on the map. This accesses information about the water supplied in that area.

Our Local Water Company:

United Utilities supplies drinking water to Manchester and the North West region. An illustrated screen gives information about the company's work in areas such as Education, Sustainable Development and the Recreation and Leisure facilities that it provides to the public.

Panel 2

DWI - What do we do?

On this section of the panel, visitors can ask an Inspector a series of questions accessed via illuminated switches, about the role of the DWI and about drinking water. The Inspector appears on screen and answers each question asked.

Water purification

This uses touch screen technology, allowing the visitor to explore the ways in which drinking water is treated to make it wholesome and safe. This is done both on a large scale and by 'zooming in' to see what is happening at each stage. Another touch screen provides information about some of the things that are tested for in water.

Panel 3

Fun and games: Water Time Gallery

Using a touch screen, visitors can look back in time and select pictures in a virtual gallery. They can hear and/or read information about how water was supplied in the past and find out just how much the quality has improved over the years.

The Water Cycle.

An old favourite with a new approach. Not only can visitors see the main stage of the natural water cycle, but they can zoom in to look at what is happening to the water molecules.

For the younger visitors a selection of games has been included to hold their interest while teaching them about water. Squirts and Pipes (a new take on the snakes and ladders game), Watersearch - Water Story.