In 1988, a resolution to declare the first full week of every May National Drinking Water Week was adopted by both houses of Congress and signed then by President Ronald Reagan. Since that time, environmental groups and water distribution utilities across the country have used National Drinking Water Week an opportunity to create awareness and deepen the general public's knowledge of water issues.
Drinking Water Week is a week set aside each year to make people more aware of the benefits of tap water. A safe, reliable water supply is critical to the success of any community. It creates jobs, attracts industry and investment and provides for the health and welfare of citizens in ways ranging from disease prevention to fire suppression. Water plays a vital role in our daily lives.
As the warmer summer months approach, families are more involved in outdoor activities and children are out of school enjoying the sun and sports. Great tasting water right from the kitchen sink will keep everyone hydrated, consuming less calories and making less of a dent in your wallet.
Clean drinking water is one of the world's most precious resources. The United States is fortunate to have one of the safest public drinking water supplies in the world. No matter which way you look at it, water plays a vital role in our daily lives. Tap water provides safe water to drink, to wash our clothes, and to prepare our food. Water is also essential for public health protection, fire protection, and the life we enjoy.
“Drinking Water Week is an opportunity for us to recognize how important a safe and reliable water supply is to our daily lives,” says East Logan Water District's Office Manager, Jana Hanks. It's a time set aside each year that we stress the importance of conserving our most natural resource now and in the future.
In the United States, we have some of the highest quality water in the world, but unfortunately, we often take it for granted, so we want to let people know that tap water is really something to celebrate. We rely on our water infrastructure everyday, yet we seldom stop to think about the value of tap water and how crutial it is to our health and quality of life.
Tap water is more than a convenience, it is central to our everyday lives. Because tap water is so reliable, it has become a silent service that is rarely recognized for the role it plays in our quality of life. So raise a glass to tap water, this is Drinking Water Week!
East Logan Water District currently serves nearly 3,000 customers, providing drinking water. The water is purchased from the Logan Todd Regional Water Commission a state of the art microfiltration facility located in Guthrie, Ky, one of the largest in the U.S. and the first in Kentucky. Water is obtained from the Cumberland River in Clarksville, Tennessee. Water is carried to homes and businesses through water mains totaling over 300 miles to accomodate the customers of East Logan Water.
'The Wonder of Water' is the theme for the weeklong celebration. For the past several years, East Logan has provided a water conservation program to all 3rd grade students at both Auburn and Chandlers Elementary Schools. This program was designed to teach children to be “water wise.” When children practice good water conservation habits, it seems that everyone in the household works hard to conserve. Education is a critical element of the conservation effort.
As part of the annual program provided by East Logan Water District, not only will methods of saving water be taught, but an essay contest for the students in which the winner will receive a $100 savings bond is in place. New to the program this year will be a poster contest with fun prizes as well. New tee shirts displaying “I Am A Water Wise Kid” will be given to the contest winners. East Logan also provides goodie bags to each student that includes a reusable water bottle encouraging the children to start now conserving water. To carry the educational programs on further, East Logan awards two $1,000 college scholarships to qualifying high school senior students at both Logan County High School and Russellville High School each May. Reusable water bottles are also available to East Logan Water customers. The annual Customer Appreciation Day is schelduled for Friday, June 12 this year and the bottles will be available then as well.
East Logan Water recognizes Drinking Water Week as a way of offering community outreach events and provide smart water-wise tips for everyone. Just remember that water is instantly available at the turn of a tap and is something that most of take for granted. We all need to conserve water. This means using water wisely, so there will be enough clean water now and in the future.
The Real Cost of Bottled Water vs. Tap Water
• The per-ounce price of bottled water is even higher than that of gasoline.
• Drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day would only set you back about .49 cents a year, while purchasing the same amount in bottled water could add up to $1,400 annually. Depending on the brand, bottled water costs 250 to 10,000 times what tap water costs.
Being friendly to the environment and to your pocketbook can go hand-in-hand. Consider water usuage.
Here are some ways to conserve water in and around the home:
Some water
conservation tips
• Repair leaky toilets, faucets and appliances. Toliets are the biggest water-using fixtures in the home, accounting for 26 percent of indoor water use. A leaky toliet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day. To test for a toliet leak, carefully remove the top of the toliet tank and add a few drops of food coloring to the water. Carefully replace the tank top and wait 15-30 minutes (don't flush). If color seeps in the toliet bowl, there's a leak. Fix the toliet promptly.
• Take short 5 minute showers instead of baths and replace old showerheads with low-flow models. A full bathtub can take over 30 gallons of water
• Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving. Brushing teeth or shaving with the water running can use 2 or more gallons. • Keep drinking water in the refrigerator, so there's no need to let the faucet run until the water cools
• Washing vegetables with the water running can use 5 or more gallons
• Replace an old toliet with a low-flow model
• Instead of rinsing dirty dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, scrape them. Wash only full loads
• When purchasing products and services that use water, look for the WaterSense label. Replace old appliances with water and energy efficient models that have the Energy Star label
• Drinking tap water from a refillable bottle prevents waste (and less than a penny per gallon, it's a good deal)!
• A water leak of one drop per second can waste up to 2400 gallons of water a year.
• Don't use the toliet as a wastebasket. Every flush wastes 3-7 gallons or water
• Make sure outside hoses and sprinklers don't leak
• Water lawns and gardens in the morning on hot summer days, so the water isn't evaporated quickly by the heat
• Use a rain barrel under the gutter of your house so the rain water from the gutters can collect in the rain barrel. You can use the water collected in the rain barrel to water the garden and yard instead of using the water from the faucet
• Water the water level in swimming pools to avoid unnecessary spillage and use a cover to prevent excess evaporation
• A leaking faucet can waste more than 3,820 gallons of water a year. Check each tap in the house, and replace worn washers or valve seats.
Water...
clearly a great value!
• Lipton Ice Tea - 16 oz. for $1.19 = $9.52 per gallon
• Evian (water) - 9 oz. for $1.49 = $21.19 per gallon
• STP Brake Fluid - 12 oz. for $3.15 = $33.60 per gallon
• Pepto Bismol - 4 oz. for $3.85 = $123.20 per gallon
• Vicks Nyquil - 6 oz. for $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon
• Wite-out - 7 oz. for $1.39 = $254.17 per gallon
• Cover Girl Nail Polish - .04 oz. for $2.79 = $892.80 per gallon
• Good ol’ tap water = average $.05 per gallon
Making small changes can make a big difference. Water conservation helps to keep your costs down, keep public costs down for water and wastewater treatment and cut down on the amount of energy used to pump, purify and deliver water to homes and other places. All living things need fresh water to survive. This includes plants, animals and people. Staying alive and healthy depends on having the water we need and the water we have.
It's a fact.… The US Environmental Protection Agency says from 1950 to 2000, the US population nearly doubled. During that same time, public demand for water more than tripled. But the amount of water available to us hasn't increased. We have to keep reusing and recleaning the same water over and over again. The water we have now is all we will ever have, says Jana Hanks in closing.
East Logan Water District board and management challenges everyone to become water wise not only during Drinking Water Week but each and every day. Make a family plan to conserve water now and realize the importance of the turn of the tap. If everyone does a little, we can all benefit a lot.
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