World Water Day Meets Thanksgiving

How does one observe World Water Day? The occasion certainly sounds important, but ask your typical treatment plant operator if he or she knows the World Water Day date (March 22nd), or even that it exists, and a shrug of the shoulders might be a common response. Perhaps the busy job of providing us the precious resource prohibits them from celebration — so let's celebrate them instead.

While much of the focus since World Water Day's inception in 1993 has been on impoverished and underdeveloped nations that lack access to clean water and sanitation, the international observance day also provides opportunity to raise awareness of water issues everywhere, even in developed nations. U.S. schools, for instance, will educate students on conservation, sustainability, and perhaps even the good work of water professionals like you.

So this is how I choose to observe World Water Day: as a day of thanks. Here are just some of the people, organizations, and efforts that I appreciate, with links to help explain why.

Water and wastewater system operators. We'll appreciate you even more as you retire, because the job of replacing you will be difficult.

Engineers. Across all areas of the industry and through every phase of water management, be it project planning, optimizing daily performance, or future-proofing for climate change, engineers can be pragmatic or idealistic — hopefully a bit of both — in providing the right insight for solving various water challenges.

Water organizations and trade associations. Most know of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), but there are countless others that serve specialized or localized needs within the industry, such as:

• Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
• Hydraulic Institute (pump systems)
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies (legislative, regulatory, and legal clean water advocacy)
• National Association of Water Companies (serving private water service companies)
• National Ground Water Association
• National Rural Water Association
• The Water Research Foundation
• Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association

Regulators. For whatever stress they may impose on utilities and industry, the environment is much better off in the 48 years since the U.S. EPA was established. And regardless of your thoughts on its current direction, public safety and healthy waters depend upon EPA, state, and local enforcement of existing and new rules.

Innovators and innovation accelerators. The water industry is sometimes criticized for being slow to adopt new technologies, but utilities are risk-averse for a reason — their primary job is to ensure clean water (and we should be thankful for the careful consideration). But we need efficiency, cost-effectiveness, resource recovery, etc. to meet the demands of the industry, and new technologies must be part of the solution. Programs like the Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology (LIFT) from the Water Research Foundation and WEF and the Technology Approval Group (TAG) from Isle Utilities are bringing new ideas directly to utilities and proving what a difference they can make. Universities and research companies like BlueTech are discovering and vetting technologies for the near future, and major innovation hubs for water tech can be found in Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

I’m also thankful for Bill Gates, because his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation cares (and invests) deeply in water causes. He drew attention when he introduced a new water-reuse system years ago — “Bill Gates Drinks Poop Water, Serves Notice” — and he’s no less committed to the cause today.

Leaders. I’ve had the pleasure of talking to true difference-makers in the industry such as George Hawkins, David St. Pierre, and Howard Neukrug, many of whom help comprise Water Online’s Water Intelligence Panel. These inspiring leaders make covering the water industry a truly exciting job (not something I imagined when I started), and they are changing the status quo.

Water Online readers and contributors. We have gracious editorial contributors who write about membranes, occupational health and safety, industrial water treatment, operator certification calculations, and so many other issues, but none of it would matter without an audience who shares our passion for that which so many others take for granted.

World Water Day was created to raise awareness for the masses, but our audience is already there. So instead I raise a virtual toast (of water, naturally) in appreciation of the people who live for the cause every day.