Happy Drinking Water Week!

It seems like there is always a week or day set aside to honor something nationally.  You know what I mean.  There is National Asparagus Month, Nanny Week, National Smile Month, Random Huggers Day.  This is just a sampling of the national awareness days in May.   Well, not to be left out, drinking water also has a special time for recognition.  This year it is celebrated May 5 - 11.  You might be saying to yourself, "Really?  Drinking water needs a special week of awareness?"
 
Well, yes.  Here in Athens many of us take our drinking water for granted. It seems odd to celebrate something that is here all the time: day and night, 24 hours a day, holidays, rainy days, whatever. The tap keeps flowing.  That kind of reliability is hard to find anywhere else. Only tap water delivers:  It protects your public health, provides fire protection, supports the economy, and enhances our overall quality of life.

Get answers to the
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Imagine....

You get out of the bed in the morning, turn on your faucet to brush your teeth, and no water comes out... 
You flush your toilet, and nothing happens... 
Your home is on fire and when the fire department arrives, no water comes out of the fire hydrant... 
You are a business owner but have no restroom facilities or water to clean your store... 
You have no consistent or clean source of water to cook with or drink... 
Think of all the ways every single day that you utilize water--from bathing, to cleaning, to doing laundry, to drinking and cooking--everything we do and all the conveniences in life we take advantage of revolve around a clean and abundant water supply. Without it, society simply wouldn't be able to exist in the way it does.

Another important point:  Water is by far the least expensive of all utilities we take advantage of - electricity, gas, cable, phone, etc., but the only one that we absolutely cannot live without.  

O.K., so you now agree water is AWESOME and you want to celebrate it.  How does one go about honoring water?  Well, here are a few opportunities for you to put a spotlight on water this week.

1.  Read the blog in Water Conservation Station to realize why water deserves recognition.  (Check.)
2. Come to our Drinking Water Week Celebration and the Deadwood Guitar All-Star Jam at Locos Grill & Pub on Timothy Road, Wednesday, May 8 from 6:30 - 9:00.  Local musicians, such as Rick Fowler, Kip Jones, and Fester Hagood, will play various guitars handcrafted by Jason Booth, of Deadwood Guitars.  During the music, the Water Conservation Office offers give aways - WaterSense high-efficiency showerheads, aerators, and spray nozzles for hoses - you can put to use in your home to protect water.  We will also have the Saltine Cracker Challenge for those brave enough to try.  Take the challenge and discover how much you want some cold, clean water.
3. Take a tour of the J.G. Beacham Drinking Water Treatment Plant on Thursday, May 9 at 4:00.  Discover how we pump, filter, and treat this vital resource before pumping it to 98% of Athens-Clarke County's residents, schools, businesses, and industries. 
4. Thank one of our Drinking Water Treatment Plant workers for providing you with a service your life depends on.  All of these dedicated people make sure the water is clean and pumped to your home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Even on Christmas!  Thank you!!

Now I ask everyone to go and get a tall, cool glass of delicious tap water and make a toast to this clean, vital liquid that was delivered to you in the comfort of your home.  Happy National Drinking Water Week. 


 

Ten Thousand Gallons

Guest Blog in honor of Fix a Leak Week!

By Veronica Blette

“Uh-oh, that can’t be good,” I thought as I entered my house to hear the sound of running water. I went upstairs to find that the flapper on my toilet had become stuck in the open position, which led to its earnest, yet futile, efforts to fill the bowl all day long. Yes, while I spent my day in the office trying to advance a nationwide ethic of water efficiency, water was running down my drain. My water bill for the month almost doubled as a result of that one day of wasted toilet filling.

So, what’s the connection with 10,000 gallons? That’s how much water we waste in our houses each year through leaks! Across the country, easy-to-fix household leaks add up to more than one trillion gallons of water lost annually, robbing homeowners of 12 percent of their water bill.
Less than one percent of the Earth’s water is available for human use, and managing water is a growing concern in the United States. Using water more efficiently and avoiding waste helps maintain supplies at safe levels now and for future generations.

That’s why we are encouraging homeowners to find and fix leaks during the third annual Fix a Leak Week, March 18 – 24, 2013. Be for water and start saving today with three simple steps:

1. Check
First, check your home for leaks. You can detect silent toilet leaks, a common water-wasting culprit, by adding food coloring to the toilet tank and waiting 10 minutes before flushing. If color appears in the bowl, your toilet has a leak.

2. Twist
Give leaking faucet and showerhead connections a firm twist to ensure that pipe connections are sealed tight. For additional savings, twist WaterSense labeled aerators onto bathroom faucets to use 30 percent less water without noticing a difference in flow.

3 .Replace
If you just can’t nip that drip, it may be time to replace the fixture. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which use at least 20 percent less water and are independently certified to perform as well as or better than standard models.

Don’t find yourself in my shoes. Take these simple steps and reduce the potential for leaks lurking in your life. Want to do more? Join my team and thousands of your neighbors by supporting the We’re for Water campaign. Visit take the I’m for Water pledge and “like” WaterSense on Facebook.

About the author: Veronica Blette leads EPA’s WaterSense program. Veronica has been with the Agency for more than thirteen years and, going forward, will always make sure the toilet is not running before she goes to work.

I’ll Have a Blue Christmas

The recent Black Friday fisticuffs at the Wal-Mart in Moultrie, Georgia, remind us the season of giving is upon us.  (Ah, makes me so proud to be a Georgian!)  Rather than leaving a store black and blue, make it your goal to incorporate some BLUE into your gift giving.  This holiday let’s fight for something more important than cheap electronics:  clean water, protection of our rivers, and a safe drinking supply for all.  
The following unique gift ideas are sure to please that hard to shop for person on your list, as well as safeguard our aquatic resources.

1.     Bee Natural Honeypot, Athens, GA

For a handcrafted item that smells like warm honey, adds a soft glow to any room, and benefits our local waterways, consider getting that special someone a Honeypot. These luminaries have been featured in Southern Living Presents and Southern Distinction magazines.  In a generous demonstration of Creighton Cutts' (the genius behind the Honepot) passion for the rivers, he joined with the Waterkeepers Alliance and is donating 25% of retail orders to the Waterkeeper organization of your choice.  Add which Waterkeeper you would like to contribute to in the comment section when ordering. 
 

      2.       Charity Gift Card

Do you know someone who is passionate about water issues and has everything? Then a TisBest Charity Gift Card is the perfect present. This gift card works like any other, except instead of buying more stuff, the recipient spends it to support a charity of his or her choice. There are over 300 organizations to select from, including several with an aquatic focus, such as American Rivers, Ducks Unlimited, and The Ocean Conservancy.  Design the card with over 50 stock images or personalize it with your own message, image, or company branding. Both you and the recipient get to give the gift of giving.

 

3.     A Cactus

I am serious. People regularly give Poinsettias for the holidays. Why not be creative and give a Christmas Cactus Tree? No other plant has such a reputation for needing very little water for survival. Websites, such as cactuslimon.com, offer an impressive selection of blooming cacti to brighten up any room for years to come. Your gift requires conservation, is unusual, self-sufficient, and an uncommon beauty.

4.    Filtered Water Bottle

Water.org has a special, limited edition CamelBak Groove Water Bottle available in stainless steel or BPA-free plastic.  The bottle keeps great tasting filtered water always at the fingertips of your lucky recipient. Even better, $10 from each bottle purchased goes to support Water.org, whose mission is to bring safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries. Matt Damon supports this organization, so it has to be alright!   
  

 5.    WaterSense Showerhead

Long gone are the days when a “low-flow” showerhead equated to poor water pressure and soapy hair. To be granted the coveted WaterSense label, manufacturers of showerheads must meet rigorous standards. The result is products providing even coverage, pleasing spray intensity, and exceptional pressure, all while using less water. Who wouldn’t want to replace their old, H2O guzzling fixtures with these new drops of liquid sunshine? Look for the WaterSense label and buy someone you care about a luxurious showerhead. Earn extra brownie points: Include a homemade gift certificate that promises personal installation of the product.
 

I hope these gift ideas inspire you to search for a present that packs a one-two punch.  Choosing from above allows you to knock out a person from your holiday shopping list and give to something you depend on every day.  Water.  And you won’t end up in a bad youtube video for getting into this fight.  So, putting a new spin on Elvis Presley and Porky Pig’s renditions of Blue Christmas, I wish everyone a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas.

Happy Holidays,
Laurie