Naturally, we like to celebrate water all year round — and there are lots of great opportunities to do so. But the month of March is especially saturated (see what we did there?) with occasions to recognize and commemorate good water stewardship.
Kicking off the month, National Groundwater Awareness Week (GWAW) took place March 5–11. First established in 1999 by the National Groundwater Association (NGWA), the annual GWAW is dedicated to highlighting “the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater,” which is a primary source of water for 44% of the nation. NGWA also notes that it’s a great opportunity to promote policies that impact groundwater — and to encourage homeowners to test their wells.
March 11 marked the occurrence of World Plumbing Day, an annual observance since 2010. Started by the World Plumbing Council to highlight the international plumbing community, World Plumbing Day reminds us of the connection between sanitation and public health, a link that is just as critical today as it was for the ancient civilizations that first pioneered the practice of using pipes to move water and wastewater.
“Leaks can run, but they can’t hide.” That’s the tagline for the U.S. EPA’s annual Fix A Leak Week campaign, which is slated for March 20–26. Established in 2009 with support from EPA’s WaterSense program, the entire week is dedicated to raising awareness of water loss through leaks. A little leak may not seem terribly nefarious, but those drips add up! According to the EPA, leaks in an average household “can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.” Finding and fixing leaky fixtures like faucets, showerheads, toilets, and irrigation systems can go a long way toward eliminating all that wasted water.
Around the world, 2 billion people lack access to safe, clean drinking water and 3.6 billion — almost half the entire global population — do not have access to safe sanitation. In fact, poor water, sanitation, and hygiene are responsible for the deaths of 1.4 million people every year. World Water Day, which is observed annually on March 22, is all about raising awareness of and taking steps to address these alarming statistics. Developed by the United Nations, the first World Water Day was observed in 1993 and each year the campaign adopts a special theme. This year, the theme is “Accelerating Change” to reflect the urgency around making progress toward safely managing drinking water and wastewater — and meeting the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: to achieve “universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all” by 2030.
Whether it’s about fixing a leak, testing a well, or conserving water, each of these special March events serves to acknowledge and celebrate one common theme: Water is our most precious resource. Now, where did I put my wrench?
