In celebration of Drinking Water Week taking place from May 2-8, 2021, MWRA joins the American Water Works Association and water professionals across North America by highlighting the different ways consumers' tap water is "There When You Need It." By observing Drinking Water Week, we recognize the vital role drinking water plays in daily life, the infrastructure that is required to carry it to and from homes and businesses, and the important and often unnoticed work of water professionals.
AWWA has put together a resource page with free downloadable materials (available in both English and Spanish) such as children's activity sheets, an artwork contest, radio PSA's and more, that can be found here.
Throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continuously assured consumers that drinking water was safe to use as normal. Our water professionals work around the clock all year to ensure that we stay true to our mission statement, even during a pandemic. Structually, we have also begun to plan for maintaining the delivery of "fresh at the source" water from the Quabbin. The creation of and preparation for the preliminary design and environmental review stage of the Metropolitan Water Tunnel Program ensures this infrastructure redundancy.
As said best by AWWA CEO David LaFrance, "Whether it is for health, hygiene or hydration, our tap water plays an absolutely vital role in our daily life. Our water infrastructure does its part to ensure tap water is there when you need it for drinking, cooking or hygiene.” To commemorate the week, water utilities, water organizations, government entities, environmental advocates, schools and others throughout North America and beyond are encouraging consumers to learn more about the importance of water and water infrastructure, especially in times of crisis.
Our school program delivered this message of "There When You Need It" through their work to prepare for the annual poster and essay contest with the theme of "Water Works Because We Do", where students in the MWRA service area were asked to use their creative skills to highlight the important work being done behind the scenes at the MWRA to make sure we have clean drinking water. The winners of the 2020-21 contest will be announced soon!
MWRA communuties are fortunate to have access to safe, reliable water and finding information about local water is simple. As required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, water utilities must provide customers with an annual water quality report, also called a Consumer Confidence Report. A CCR identifies the quality of local drinking water and if any contaminants are detected and if so, which ones. Also available in the report is information on each community’s local source for drinking water.
MWRA sends CCRs to all households and businesses in its service area every year. Look for the latest report, with 2020 data coming this June. MWRA tests drinking water every step of the way and the results are posted online.
More information about local water sources is available on DrinkTap.org.
About Drinking Water Week
For more than 40 years, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives.
About AWWA
Established in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the world’s most important resource. With approximately 50,000 members, AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life.
