Water - It's There When You Need It!

May 01, 2022

It’s that wonderful time of year again where we come together to celebrate National Drinking Water Week!

Every year, during the first week of May, water professionals across North America celebrate Water and all it provides to our communities and lives. This year’s theme is There When You Need It.

Water is the great unifier. We all need it. Every plant, person, animal, and insect require water to thrive!

Earth is unique for many reasons, the most important being that 71% of the planet is covered by water. However, only 1% of that abundance is consumable for all life. Therefore, as stewards, we must take extra care to protect and preserve for the benefit of all life.

Here are some fun facts about Drinking Water Innovation

The average North American utilizes ~ 176 gallons of water a day and ~ 65,000 gallons a year.
Indoor plumbing was “technically” made available to the general public in the 1840s at the Tremont Hotel in Boston, and there is no “specifically identified” inventor.
Toilets became mainstream in the 1850s.
The earliest documentation of water treatment processes is found in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Fun Facts About Water Use

It takes ~ 1,230 gallons of water to make one pair of shoes.
One glass of drinking water comes from approximately 32 gallons of water.
~ 40,000 gallons of water are used when manufacturing one standard sized car.
~ 19 gallons of water are needed to grow 1 apple.

The value of water is not lost on anyone. Understanding the need and appreciating the resource is what Drinking Water Week is all about!

This May, be sure to take the time and thank your local water team for keeping the taps flowing and water fresh!

Read your Water Quality Report. Local water systems provide Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) to their customers annually on or before July 1st. (Some states publish by dates may vary. Check with your local primacy agency for details).