Rural Public Supply Research Articles

Flowing perceptions: Exploring secondary students’ perceptions of water

Adolescents’ (i.e., high school students) opinions and preferences are important and less likely to be influenced by political and social norms, especially considering natural resource and climate related issues. Therefore, this study sought to identify and understand the perceptions of secondary students related to water issues and conservation practices utilizing a non-experimental survey research design. The majority (53.8%) of Oklahoma secondary students participating in this study believed water was of concern in the state. The primary water issues affecting Oklahoma according to secondary students (n = 93) were clean drinking water, water for agriculture, water for aquatic habitats, wastewater treatment improvement, and water quality monitoring to detect pollution improvement. Students’ perceptions of water quantity and quality varied across groups based on their primary source of drinking water (i.e., Private Supply, Bottled Water, Municipal Public Supply, or Rural Public Supply). It is imperative for water-related curriculum to be developed for delivery in secondary classrooms across the state. Future research should consider the perceptions of students nationwide related to water and natural resource conservation.

The Electrical Systems of Five Wind Farms

The design, construction and early operating experience of the electrical systems of five wind farms, with a total installed capacity of 35 MW, is described. The design approaches adopted for the wind farm internal electrical systems and the interfaces to the rural public supply networks have been shown to be successful. No significant failures of electrical equipment or disturbances to the public supply network have occurred.