Clean water is vital for life, for living things to survive. We need it for drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing. The food, healthcare and emergency sectors can’t go without it. Water is needed for growing crops, generating power and manufacturing goods. And when the dog is dirty, we need it for that, too (though some pets may prefer to take a pass).
Seems like clean water is always there when we need it. But we’re fortunate to have it — especially clean water to drink — and we can’t take it for granted.
To highlight the importance and reliability of drinking water — and the people who “work for water” — the American Water Works Association marks Drinking Water Week, May 5-11. Communities across the United States celebrate this observance early each May, and it is supported in Hampton Roads through the askHRgreen.org environmental awareness and education initiative.
So where does all this life-sustaining water originate?
Depending on where you live, it may come from surface sources, such as reservoirs, lakes and rivers, or from groundwater. And for the more than 1.5 million people in Hampton Roads, this water is served to their tap by the region’s public water systems, the robust, often unseen, network of people and pipes working around the clock to collect, store, treat and deliver it.
Water from the source must be pumped through huge pipes to a treatment plant, where impurities are removed and germs are killed. Once the water is clean, it is pumped through another network of pipes and storage facilities to flow from our faucets on demand.
The municipal water utilities are supported by 12 water treatment plants, with more than 50 wells and 23 reservoirs storing more than 34 billion gallons of water. Keeping all these processes running are dedicated professionals who think about water daily, so the average person never has to.
Drinking Water Week raises awareness about these public water systems; it also encourages us to avoid wasting water.
Leaving a faucet dripping or a toilet running, or overwatering the lawn, puts unnecessary stress on water resources, not to mention your bank account. Here are ways you can use water wisely:
- Check for leaky faucets and toilets (fixing leaks is a big water saver).
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
- Wash only full loads of dishes and laundry.
- Take shorter showers or use less water to fill the bathtub.
- Replace thirsty lawns with drought-tolerant Virginia native plants.
Katie Cullipher and Rebekah Eastep lead the askHRgreen.org public awareness and education campaign for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. For more ways to make an environmental difference on any day, visit askHRgreen.org.
