Drinking Water Week

May 5-11, 2013 is National Drinking Water Week

"There is nothing more essential to a community's health and vitality than reliable access to safe drinking water."
- David LaFrance, American Water Works Association Executive Director

Drinking Water Week is an annual event held each year to recognize the essential role water plays in our daily lives and the quality of life we enjoy.

This year’s theme is What Do You Know About H2O? and encourages everyone to get to know more about their drinking water and where it comes from.

We encourage public water systems to connect with your consumers during Drinking Water Week to get out a positive message about drinking water and educate your consumers about the water you supply.

Celebration Ideas

• Advertise in your local newspaper
• Publicize the release of your consumer confidence report
• Send public service announcements to your local radio or television stations
• Issue a press release
• Add a link on your website to www.DrinkTap.org, a website offering information for consumers about the drinking water provided to them from water utilities
• Offer a tour or open house of your facility
• Connect with your local schools and offer to present/educate students about drinking water and how your utility provides safe drinking water to the community

• Sponsor a coloring, essay, video, or photo contest where kids of all ages are encouraged to draw, write, record, or take a photo about the importance of water to them in their daily lives. Post the winners in your local newspaper, on your website, or as a bill stuffer.
• Sponsor an educational concert or assembly in your local school as a fun way to get students engaged and excited about learning about where their drinking water comes from.

Resources

• Visit the American Water Works Drinking Water Week website for additional celebration ideas and materials you can download and use, such as press releases, logos, fliers, public service announcements, coloring contests, and children’s activity pages.
• Get a Drinking Water Week Workbook from New England Water Works Association. Drinking Water Week Workbooks contain ideas, instructions, and examples, of activities and different ways your utility can celebrate with your community during drinking water week.
• Educational Concerts and Assemblies for Students/Schools*
  • Earth Jams
  • Night Heron Music
  • Mr. & Mrs. Fish
  • New England Utility Management Enterprises, LLC (NEUME), an affiliate of Maine Rural Water Association
  • *  Please note this is only a partial listing of providers that may be available and the DWP makes no endorsement of any company or individual. To be included as a resource, please email Erika Bonenfant erika.bonenfant@maine.gov.
• U.S. CDC’s Drinking Water Week webpage
• EPA’s Drinking Water page for Kids
• DrinkTap.org- AWWA website offering information for consumers about the drinking water provided to them from water utilities
• Water You Waiting For?: “Water You Waiting For?” is a 12-minute video showcasing the water profession for high school and/or vocational technical school students. This video highlights the water profession in four areas—the value of water, job responsibilities, career successes, and environmental contribution.

How Are You Celebrating Drinking Water Week?

We would love to hear what you are doing in your community to celebrate drinking water week!

Let us know how your water system and community is celebrating Drinking Water Week.