WATCH: 5-year-old builds wastewater treatment plant model out of Lego, puts whatever you built to shame

Wally is five years old and he built a wastewater treatment plant out of Lego.

Really, it's quite impressive. That and his narrated tour of the colorfully snapped-together facility is one of the best things I've seen in a long time. Not something I'd want to step on with bare feet in the dark, though. Check this out.

RELATED STORIES:

• How to crochet your very own miniature toilet. Because you know you want to.
• CAREERS: Search for a clean-water career with us

Updated December 21, 2015

WIPES: Yep, still not flushable. Keep wipes out of pipes, Consumer Reports confirms

It's a headline we've been seeing for some time, but it's a tip worth sharing again: Flushable wipes really aren't flushable, and if you flush them you could be asking for plumbing problems.

This time, it's a story from WLS-TV out of Chicago.



RELATED: 15 things you shouldn't flush

RELATED: Quick and simple tip to help protect your plumbing if entertaining on New Year's Eve

TIPS: Stylish way to tell house guests you don't want them clogging your toilet during the holidays

Some people have a habit of flushing things they shouldn't flush: Disposable wipes, paper towels, wrappers, cotton swabs, and a whole lot more. And when you're entertaining guests this holiday season, if you don't know their habits, they might be flushing something in your bathroom that could cause a problem.

Here's something that might come in handy. Download and print one of our 5x7 inserts [PDF], find a frame around the house, and place your new reminder somewhere near your bathroom sink or toilet.

Let us know if you put one to use. Happy holidays.

EVENT: Make your holiday break a #h2olidays experience at @clevemetroparks "Water's Extreme Journey"

Image courtesy Cleveland Metroparks

If you're looking for a day trip during the holiday break, why not make a journey out of it?

Water's Extreme Journey is a traveling exhibit making a stop at Cleveland Metroparks Watershed Stewardship Center at West Creek through January 12, 2014.

For a limited time, this amazing maze takes visitors on a journey of a falling raindrop through the water cycle and back to the ocean.

Interactive and adventurous, enjoy games and crafts throughout the exhibit and learn what you can do to protect the environment starting in your own backyard.

Water's Extreme Journey is supported by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and the Cleveland Division of Water.

It starts tomorrow!! "Water's Extreme Journey Maze" Dec 21 - Jan 12 @ 10-4:30 p.m: http://t.co/WM0mJCmEr5 pic.twitter.com/ykygINJhkj
— Cleveland Metroparks (@clevemetroparks) December 21, 2013

THANKFUL: For connections made in 2013, plans laid for 2014 [#h2olidays]

Thank you. Most of you who follow our blog, Facebook posts, tweets and videos know how much we enjoy interacting with and serving you in this digital realm. And we very much appreciate the engagement we've shared throughout 2013.

When it comes to our work, this year has been eventful in many ways, and our commitment to customer service, the environment, and the betterment of our region will remain strong in the coming year.

Just as we have grown our social-media relationships in the recent past, 2014 will feature new ways to help customers better understand our work, their bills, and what it takes to keep our Great Lake great. If you have questions or ideas to help make that happen, share them with us.

We wish you a peaceful holiday season and a prosperous new year.

WEATHER: Melting snow, heavy rain, flood warnings in the forecast

With snow on the ground and heavy rain in the forecast, be prepared.

Some of our local Cleveland weather friends are predicting several inches of rain likely this weekend. With snow still standing on the saturated ground, it is possible that the rainfall could affect areas prone to flooding. What steps can you take in advance? Video after the jump.

PIC: If only every Powerpoint graph was as awesome as the one 5th-grader My'a made us

We love hearing we've made an impact on a child's life.

Even more, we love seeing that impact represented in a fifth-grader's drawn-by-hand-in-marker graph that proves a staggering 9,900% increase! In just 12 weeks!

Can't argue with statistics. It says right there: "amount of good things" the Sewer District has done.

Bam. We're not exactly sure how statistically accurate My'a Montgomery's calculations are, but her card was one of dozens we received from Mr. Candel's fifth-grade class about the water-cycle educational materials our own Ramona Lowery offered Woodbury Elementary in Shaker Heights.

Thanks again, My'a. We'll be sure to include your stats in our 2013 performance evaluation, and when we get our 2014 budget .ppt together, we're calling you.

If you'd like to request a guest speaker, send us a request.

RATES: New 2014 rates go into effect January 1, four ways to save

Our 2014 rate schedule goes into effect January 1, and there are four cost-saving programs available for qualifying customers.

The 2014 base charge is $6.60 per bill. Cleveland residents pay $62.15 per MCF ($37.75 for Homestead or Affordability Program customers), and suburban customers pay $64.55 per MCF ($38.95 for Homestead or Affordability Program customers). One MCF is 1,000 cubic feet of water consumption, equal to 7,480 gallons. Rates are charged based on actual consumption. See the full 2014-2016 rate schedule.

The 2012-2016 rates are based on maintenance and operation needs, but also account for major infrastructure investments like Project Clean Lake, a 25-year $3 billion plan to reduce pollution in Lake Erie by about 4 billion gallons a year by 2035.

We do offer four cost-saving programs that can help eligible customers pay a reduced rate: Homestead, Wastewater Affordability, Summer Sprinkling, and Crisis Assistance. All of these are briefly referenced below and detailed at neorsd.org/save.