Drinking Water Week
Got Water? - The City of Evanston invites the community to support National Drinking Water Week 2012, May 6 through May 12, and celebrate water as our most precious natural resource.
What is National Drinking Water Week?
For more than 30 years, communities across the United States have joined the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in recognizing the essential role that water plays in our daily lives by celebrating National Drinking Water Week. Throughout the week, AWWA and its partners provide information and host activities to highlight how important water is for us all. This year Evanston has chosen the theme “got water?” to remind us how important it is to have water when we need it. Throughout the week, the city will sponsor a series of activities for all ages in honor of National Drinking Water Week.
Events
Coloring Contest
The city is hosting a coloring contest for 3rd grade students to showcase their ideas of how water is important to them. On-line voting of the top coloring projects will occur in April, with the overall winner to be announced at the Evanston City Council meeting on April 23rd. The top voted coloring projects will be displayed at the Main Evanston Public Library from April 24th – May 11th on the 2nd floor landing. The overall winner will receive a four pack of Evanston Beach Tokens for the 2012 summer. View and Download instructions for educators.
Sunset Paddle
May 6th, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Evanston Ecology Center
Explore water in a different way! Join us for a paddle as we enjoy the North Shore Channel (canal) at dusk. We’ll look for all sorts of animals that call this waterway home. We’ll start off at the Ecology Center with safety and canoe instruction and then we’ll paddle on the canal until twilight. Maximum two adults and two children, age 5 and older in one canoe. Please register by phone or in person at the Ecology Center (847) 448- 8245.
Bottlemania Book Discussion
May 6th 3:00 pm, Main Evanston Public Library
Join us for a community discussion of Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It. Author Elizabeth Royte makes a case for protecting our public water supplies, improving our water infrastructure and better allocating the precious drinkable water that remains. Call the Reader’s Services Desk at the Library, at 847-448-8620 to register and reserve your copy.
After School Activities
May 7th -11th, 3:30 – 5:00 pm, Evanston Ecology Center
Celebrate National Drinking Water week with a splash! Join Ecology Center staff for fun after school activities all week! We’ll explore the wonderful history, properties, and uses of water. Each day will have a different theme and self-guided activities so make sure you stop by everyday! Activities will be designed for grades K-5.
Tapped the Movie - Film Screening
May 8th 7:00 pm, Main Evanston Public Library
Explore a wide range of issues and concerns related to public access to clean drinking water with this documentary film Tapped. A discussion facilitated by Library staff will follow, examining the world water crisis and the role that local governments and private industries have in providing and securing our water resources.
Two Public Enemies - Dramatization
Saturday May 12th 4:00 pm, Evanston Public Library Community Meeting Room
Come see this 2 person dramatization of scenes from Ibsen’s “Enemy of the People”, which pits a local scientist who has discovered dangerous contaminants in the local water supply against a greedy community eager to exploit the town as a spa.
More Information
What You Can Do to Protect the Tap
Did you know that the water we drink today is the same water that was around when dinosaurs were alive? It is important to treat our water resources with care and ensure we have clean water supplies for the future. Here are a few steps consumers can take to make sure that their water systems are as clean as possible:
- Don’t overuse pesticides or fertilizers as they can travel through runoff and soil and contaminate ground water.
- Dispose of used motor oil properly. One quart of motor oil can contaminate more than 250,000 gallons of water.
- Use detergents that are phosphate-free to save our lakes and streams.
- Join in a beach, stream, or wetlands cleanup project.
- Properly dispose of prescription medications and other products that are too often flushed into the wastewater system and out to the environment.
Water Facts
- Water covers 70.9% of the Earth’s surface, but only 3% of that is fresh water.
- Approximately 400 billion gallons of water are used in the United States per day.
- A running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day.
- At 1 drip per second, a faucet can leak 3,000 gallons per year.
- If you drink your daily recommended 8 glasses of water per day from the tap, it will cost you about 50 cents per year. If you choose to drink it from water bottles, it can cost you up to $1,400 dollars.
- A 2008 study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors showed that for every dollar invested in public water and sewer infrastructure and services, approximately $8.97 is added to the national economy through news jobs in engineering, pipe and valve manufacturing, concrete and construction work and more