Michigan will recognize Drinking Water Awareness Week from May 2-8, 2021, in accordance with National Drinking Water Week. Drinking Water Week was established by the American Water Works Association and its partners. The Week provides a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.
Join us for the kick-off of Drinking Water Awareness Week by sharing social media posts and getting the word out in your community. Tag your posts with #DrinkingWaterWeek. Your voice will help increase awareness and inform Michiganders about the importance of protecting our Drinking Water and getting involved - as all of you have.
Monday, May 3 - How Do You Get Your Water?
Water is supplied to your home from either a public water supply or a private well. It's important to determine how your water is supplied in order to understand how your water quality is monitored and who to contact if you have water quality issues. A general rule to follow is: If you get a water bill for your water, you are on a community water supply.
Tuesday, May 4 - Residential Well Awareness Day
If you get your water from your own private residential well, then you are responsible for its maintenance and sampling. We will focus on helping you understand what you should know about your private residential water well.
Wednesday, May 5 - PFAS and Drinking Water
PFAS 101: What Every Homeowner Should Know webinar will cover how PFAS impacts groundwater, sources of PFAS, testing options, treatment options, associated health effects, and other important facts homeowners should know. Personal perspectives will be given by members of the Citizens Advisory Workgroup (CAWG) about their experiences with PFAS contamination in their communities and tips they would like to share with homeowners.
Thursday, May 6 - Lead and Drinking Water
Lead water pipes can sometimes be found in older homes. Drinking water faucets manufactured before 2014 were allowed to contain up to 8 percent lead. This lead can sometimes find its way into our drinking water. Pick the right filter.
We will focus on the various reasons why we may find lead in our drinking water and what we can do to minimize our risks.
Friday, May 7 - Get Involved
-Share materials from the Drinking Water Awareness Week Toolkit (will be available by the end of this week)
-Participate in water sampling efforts.
-Help organize a Drinking Water Week awareness event in your community.
-Learn more about the School Drinking Water Program and support efforts to provide guidance and tools to assist administrators in the reduction of detrimental health risks in their building drinking water.