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The Source Mystery Cache

Hidden : 9/7/2017
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:


THERE IS NOTHING OF INTEREST AT THE POSTED COORDINATES. (Other than a wastewater treatment plant, which is interesting in its own way.) You will have to solve the puzzle to find the real coordinates for this cache. You do not need to visit the posted coordinates, nor should you unless you have the proper permission.


Wastewater treatment plants are often thought of as an ending. Clean, pure water drips from melting snow on pristine mountain tops and, collecting together, rushes into streams where we collect and further clean it before use. Or, our water is drawn out of the ground from wells, where it has been filtered through layers of rock. This water is then piped into our houses where it is available to us at the flick of a lever or the turn of a knob. After we use it, the water is swept down a drain or flushed down a toilet and begins a new journey - to the wastewater treatment plant. (Unless you have a septic tank, but that's another story.)

Upon arrival, large solid waste is screened out before the water is pumped into settling pools. Here, smaller solid waste settles out of the water and is physically removed. After this, the water goes through tanks filled with bateria that digest dissolved organic matter. Finally, the water is disinfected before being released back into the environment.

Though wastewater treatment plants are often thought of as the end-of-the-line for dirty, used water, they are also a source of fresh, clean water. All of the water on our planet is part of a large cycle, and once you know more about it, it's hard to distinguish the beginning from the end.

Logs with spoilers will be deleted. Don't log how to find it or a picture of final cache. Thank you!

Congrats to Vertumnis and MrsV for the FTF.


♿ Check the hint for information on accessibility, and view or rate this cache on Handicaching.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[♿ accessibility:] lbh znl arrq gb ernpu qbja ybj / hc uvtu gb svaq guvf pnpur

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)