Celebrate 2022 National Drinking Water Week!

For nearly 40 years, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) has celebrated Drinking Water Week with its members. This year, it will be held May 1-7.

In 1988, AWWA brought the event to the attention of the United States government and formed a coalition with the League of Women Voters, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That year, Rep. Robert Roe of New Jersey and Sen. Dennis DeConcini of Arizona sponsored a resolution to name the first week of May as National Drinking Water Week, and an information kit was distributed to the media and to more than 10,000 utilities across the U.S. Willard Scott, the NBC “Today” show weatherman at the time, was featured in public service announcements that aired between May 2 and 8. The weeklong observance was declared in a joint congressional resolution and signed by thenPresident Ronald Reagan.

The following year AWWA approached several other organizations to participate. Through that effort, the National Drinking Water Alliance was formed, consisting of 15 nonprofit educational, professional, and public interest organizations. The alliance dedicated itself to public awareness and involvement in public and private drinking water issues and continued its work to organize a major annual educational campaign built around Drinking Water Week.

The power of the multiorganization alliance enabled Drinking Water Week to grow into widespread and committed participation throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1991, the alliance launched a national campaign to inform the public about America’s drinking water. The group distributed a kit containing ideas for celebrating the event, conservation facts and tip sheets, news releases, and posters. The theme was “There’s a lot more to drinking water than meets the eye.” That same year, actor Robert Redford recorded a public service announcement on behalf of Drinking Water Week.

Celebrating Drinking Water Week is an easy way to educate the public, connect with the community, and promote employee morale. Too often, water utilities receive publicity only when something bad happens; Drinking Water Week celebrations give utilities an opportunity for positive communication and a way to connect with their customers.

Public Communication

Communicating to the public during Drinking Water Week is integral to any successful celebration. Some options and ideas are:

S Advertise in local newspapers S Send bill stuffers to customers S Work with local librarians to set up displays S Use mall kiosks to reach a broad audience S Coordinate distribution of AWWA news releases S Publicize the release of water utility consumer confidence reports S Send public service announcements to local radio and television stations S Set up a Facebook page and use other social media outlets like YouTube, Instragram, and TikTok

Community Events

It’s important to be a part of the local community. Communitywide events are fun and festive ways to make sure that customers know about their drinking water—where it comes from, how they get it, and what they can do to help ensure their drinking water quality. Events could include the following: S Invite your community members to an open house S Inaugurate an adopt-a-hydrant program S Plant a tree S Conduct plant tours S Hold a landmark dedication/anniversary celebration S Bury a time capsule S Partner with local botanic gardens and environmental groups S Plan a community cleanup

Youth Focus

Drinking Water Week is a perfect time to educate children and youth about their water supply in an atmosphere of fun. Here are some ideas: S Feature a children’s coloring contest or essay contest S Hold a poster contest S Have utility employees make presentations at local schools S Partner with a local school district and hold an artwork contest that encourages students to draw or color pictures showing how water is essential to their daily lives

Internal Communications and Events

Don’t forget your employees! Drinking Water Week can help reaffirm to employees the importance of what it is they do—provide clean, safe drinking water for the public. Consider these events: S Hold an annual employee picnic during

Drinking Water Week S Create a utility or company newsletter feature on Drinking Water Week S Video employees talking about their jobs and what they do to make the public’s water safe and post the information on social media

Plan Ahead

Drinking Water Week is celebrated during the first full week of May each year. Future dates are: S 2023 – May 7-13 S 2024 – May 5-11 S 2025 – May 4-10 S 2026 – May 3-9 S 2027 – May 2-8

For questions about Drinking Water Week contact Dave Gaylinn at dgaylinn@awwa.org or 303.794.7711. S