More than 60 students took up the challenge of replicating Northern Ireland Water's biggest-ever engineering scheme at a unique education event celebrating the £130million Belfast Sewers Project.

Held at W5 at Odyssey, schools from across Belfast were invited to identify solutions to the engineering challenges which faced the recently-completed project, including investigations of the city's unique geology and plotting a tunnel route in urban areas. Using marbles and tracks they model the flow of water and were penalised for lost marbles as they represented leaks.

This fun but realistic exercise was designed to encourage students to explore careers in engineering and its vital role in society and explained how one of Europe's most complex infrastructure schemes was designed to reduce the risk of flooding in the Belfast area and improve water quality in the River Lagan and its tributaries.

Project Sponsor for NI Water, Bill Gowdy, said the schools day was designed to inspire budding engineers: 'The Belfast Sewers Project is one of the most important achievements in the city's history and a vital part of its long-term future development.  We're sharing our thinking, passion and vision with the next wave of engineers to show how ambitious ideas can be translated into constructions that change the way we live and underpin our economic and social success.'

'During the last three years the Belfast Sewers Project has engaged with schools to highlight the important work taking place right under their feet. Although construction is now complete, we're pleased that the project is continuing to actively contribute by encouraging students to learn more about this world-class project.'

The current phase of the Belfast Sewers Project began in 2006 with the upgrade of the existing sewer networks and construction of new drainage tunnels to increase stormwater capacity. The work included the construction of Northern Ireland's largest water pumping station and more than nine kilometres of tunnels running at depths of up to 30 metres below the surface.