We all rely on wastewater systems, but few of us know how they work. The Allen County Soil & Water Conservation District wanted to change that. These displays do two jobs at once: they show how wastewater systems work, and show some of the ways they can fail.

Allen County SWCD serves both rural and urban areas, so they needed to discuss both rural septic systems and municipal sewer systems. We built one display for each type of wastewater system. Both displays have the same basic features, though:  a video screen showing how the water systems work, framed by graphics.

A row of buttons along the bottom of each display unit lets visitors choose which animations to play. The first animation on the displays shows the wastewater systems working properly. The others show a variety of problems that makes each system fail.

The display about rural septic systems has a particularly important role. It warns homeowners about things not  to do, so they can avoid breaking their septic system and possibly contaminating local water. Since rural wastewater systems are more likely to affect farmland, Allen County SWCD’s educational efforts could benefit both rural residents and farmers.