The Clean Water Experiment

[Gentle music] [Gentle music] [Duck quacking] [Gentle music] The Clean Water Experiment is an initiative… …that combines science, water management and art. …that combines science, water management and art. …that combines science, water management and art. In Amsterdam, the water quality continues to imporve… In Amsterdam, the water quality continues to imporve… and the use of the city's water also increases. Therefore, people awnt to know more about the water quality… …and on the other hand… …scientists are eager to tell us about it as well. In the experiment, we had 250 participants. Each one received a 'water box' filled with 6,7 experiments that told something, about the water quality. The could enter the results of these experiments into a website. The could enter the results of these experiments into a website. The could enter the results of these experiments into a website. On that website you could view a map of Amsterdam… …and see the results of other participants as well. …and see the results of other participants as well. The experiments we created were very sensory and also very accessible. The experiments we created were very sensory and also very accessible. The experiments we created were very sensory and also very accessible. The experiments we created were very sensory and also very accessible. Everyone, from children to adults, … ...could do these experiments. ...could do these experiments. I felt like a young explorer with that water box. I felt like a young explorer with that water box. Every morning, I go for a swim in the river IJ, together with some neighbours. And then I woul do my experiments and, while swimming I would count the swans and the gulls and all the other birds. And then I woul do my experiments and, while swimming I would count the swans and the gulls and all the other birds. And because you are all participating in scientific research,... And because you are all participating in scientific research,... …you contribute to knowledge. Yes, that makes you stronger or more meaningful so to say. Yes, that makes you stronger or more meaningful so to say. It is fun to participate in a project like this. The experiment that appealed most to the imagination was the E.coli test. In this experiment, you got 5 petri dishes in which you had to put 0.5 ml of canal's water you got 5 petri dishes in which you had to put 0.5 ml of canal's water you got 5 petri dishes in which you had to put 0.5 ml of canal's water… …and see if blue dots would appear. Well here you see 6 dots… …that means it’s a reasonable quality. Well, this is the map with the results of The Clean Water Experiment. All these dots are places where people did tests. More than a thousand times someone sat down at the waterfront with their water box and fille din results. And you also see several summaries of the Gaasperplas, the Amstel. The Gaasperplas turned out to the best spot. Its score is a 9.5 and the water's traslucency is very big, more than 2 meters. This is good for swimming, but also very important for the plants and animals. This high mark is an interesting result. Perhaps upfront people thought the water would be very dirty… Perhaps upfront people thought the water would be very dirty… But discovered that the results were much better than expected. On the other hands, they also bonded with the water. Perhaps they even started loving it. This shows in the mark given. [Gentle music] [Gentle music] [Gentle music]