Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash encourages the public to observe National Groundwater Awareness Week (#GWAW2018), which is an annual observance established by the National Groundwater Association to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of water. During the week of March 11 to March 17, 2018, the public is encouraged to “Tend.Test.Treat.” as part of the national campaign’s theme. This year’s holistic approach is to sustain an adequate supply of quality water by testing water to prompt a well inspection. Testing can also reveal and help stop naturally occurring contamination through maintenance and water treatment. So, test your water, tend to your well system, and treat the water, if necessary.
“I am joining with the National Groundwater Association to encourage more “groundwater advocates” both for National Groundwater Awareness Week and beyond for the purpose of protecting and conserving groundwater. For more information, go to GroundwaterAwarenessWeek.com or WellOwner.org
Did you know the following?
• American’s use 79.8 billion gallons of groundwater each day.
• Groundwater is 20 to 30 times larger than all U.S. lakes, streams and rivers combined.
• 44 percent of the U.S. population depends on groundwater for its drinking water supply.• More than 13.2 million households have their own well, representing 34 million people.• There are 100,000 wells located in Oakland County.
“Because water is such a vital part of our daily lives and is critical to our very existence, I want to inform the public about World Water Awareness Day. World Water Awareness Day is celebrated each year in the month of March. It will be observed on Thursday, March 22, 2018,” said Water Resource Commissioner Jim Nash.
The 2018 World Water Day theme—Nature for Water—looks at how we can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century. Various activities and events have been planned globally which range from beach cleanups to special film screenings with discussions about this most valuable resource being organized.
For more information, go to www.worldwaterday.org.