Plan Now for National Drinking Water Week Taking Place May 7-13 this Year!

On May 7-13, this year, National Drinking Water Week (NDWW) will once again provide a great opportunity for state drinking water programs and water utilities to promote the value of drinking water.  This year’s theme is “Your Water:  to know it is to love it.”  Do you have events planned in your state for this special week?
What You Can Do:  For some inspiring ideas, along with a variety of outreach and educational materials to promote NDWW, ASDWA would like to share some of the ways that your fellow state drinking water programs and others have celebrated.  Some states issue Governor proclamations; post announcements on their web site and through social media; hold fairs and contests, hold open houses at their offices with displays and exhibits; and synchronize the timing of ceremonies and press events with NDWW, including announcing drinking water system awards and/or releasing the state’s annual drinking water report.
Customizable Press Release and Governor’s Proclamation:  We have attached a sample press release and Governor’s proclamation to customize for use in your state.
State Examples:  To see some examples from other states, you may view:

• The Minnesota Year of Water Action was declared this year by the Governor and urges businesses, the agricultural industry, outdoor enthusiasts, communities and families to take action to conserve and improve water quality.
• The Virginia Governor’s proclamation from last year.
• The Massachusetts Governor’s proclamationfrom last year.
• The Vermont Drinking Water Program has created a Drinking Water Week facebook page and has been holding a fair and poster and photo contest for the past two years. The state has also developed a video on the value of water.
• The Washington Drinking Water Program presents awards to outstanding water system operators during NDWW, in conjunction with a proclamation from the Governor.  View the information on the web site.
• Pennsylvania holds its Ground Water Symposium every year during NDWW to help celebrate, and sets up drinking water displays, along with the signed Governor’s proclamation in the lobby of the state office building where the drinking water program resides.
• New York has worked with its partners as part of the Water and Wastewater Education and Outreach Committee (WWEOC) to promote the value of water during NDWW and all year long. The web site also includes information about last year’s tap water taste contest and links to a customizable version of their “Value of Water” brochure and a Children’s Activity Booklet.

Water Utilities:  Your water utilities also provide a great avenue for promoting NDWW directly with their customers and community.  Please help them by getting them involved in your state-directed activities, and sharing some of these resources with them as examples of what they can do, such as developing bill stuffers and news releases.  Some utility examples include:

• Madison County, Alabama Drinking Water Festival is held in conjunction with NDWW and has been held since 1998. The festival includes hands-on activities to educate students and their families about how groundwater and surface water, as well as other associated natural resources, relate to drinking water and to instill in them a general environmental awareness and stewardship ethic.
• Kansas City Water published a news story and video about the release of its 2016 Water Quality Report as part of Drinking Water Week.
• The City of Evanston, Illinois holds events each year to promote NDWW. As part of the celebration this year, they are conducting treatment plant tours and holding a third grate art contest.  In previous years, they have held a sunset paddle and water sports events; a rain barrel workshop, a high school Instagram photography contest, and more.

AWWA Resources:  The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has a web page that includes a history of NDWW, a web banner with this year’s theme: “Your Water:  to know it is to love it,” and a list of celebration and promotion ideas.
Please Share with Us:  We hope this information is helpful for you.  Please let us know what you are planning in your state.  We would like to hear from you and get additional examples to share with other states.
ATTACHMENT – 2017 Drinking Water Week Press Release and Governors Proclamation