In celebration of Drinking Water Week taking place from May 5-11, 2024, MWRA joins the American Water Works Association and water professionals across North America in recognizing the vital role water plays in everyday life for both water professionals and the communities they serve. By observing Drinking Water Week, we invite the public to learn about the how truly vital clean, safe water is in daily life and its role in protecting public health and the environment now and in the future.

This year's celebration also coincides with a historic milestone – the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in the United States, a landmark law designed to safeguard the public by setting high drinking water quality standards. The SDWA provides a scientific framework to identify potential risks to drinking water and address them in partnership with states and water utilities. Check out more information about the timeline of the SDWA, hear testimonials, and more here.

To commemorate the week, water utilities, water organizations, government entities, environmental advocates, schools and others throughout North America and beyond are engaging the community in understanding the vital role of clean, safe water in daily life, including its importance for public health and environmental protections.

"Drinking Water Week is the perfect time to reflect on all that safe drinking water means in our lives,” said AWWA CEO David LaFrance. “Safe, reliable drinking water is critical in many ways, including public health, economic prosperity and our high quality of life. With the Safe Drinking Water Act anniversary, we also celebrate the committed water system workers, the vigilant regulators, the researchers, the public health professionals, the environmental advocates, and everyone with a hand in fulfilling the high standards and spirit of the SDWA."

Our water professionals work around the clock all year to ensure that we stay true to our mission statement and maintain the infrastructure to deliver "fresh at the source" water from the Quabbin. Staff conduct hundreds of thousands of tests each year to ensure that your water is safe after it has been monitored by a state-of-the-art surveillance system. MWRA continues to meet every federal and state standard and the quality of our drinking water is excellent.

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.

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 2023 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 several decades, 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. Free materials for download and additional information about Drinking Water Week are available on the Drinking Water Week webpage.

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.