Drinking Water Week
Drinking Water Week
Celebrating Drinking Water Week
For more than 40 years, the American Water Works Association and its members have used Drinking Water Week as a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.
Drinking Water Week 2025 will be from May 4-10. Celebration materials will be available early next year.
For questions about Drinking Water Week, contact Megan McDowell in the AWWA Communications Department.
Advertisement
What You Can Do to Celebrate Drinking Water Protection Week
Recognizing Drinking Water Week is an easy way to educate the public, connect with the community, and promote employee morale. Too often, water utilities only receive negative publicity — a main break in the middle of rush hour or increasing rates. Recognizing Drinking Water Week provides an opportunity for positive communication. AWWA has compiled a toolkit for utilities to use to reach out to your employees, your customers, and your community.
Drinking Water Week is a perfect time to educate children about their water supply in a fun atmosphere.
Do not forget your employees! Drinking Water Week can help reaffirm to your employees the importance of what it is they do — provide clean, safe drinking water for the public.
Public Communication
Whether you distribute press releases, take out ads in your local newspaper, or use any of the other ideas provided, communicating to the public during Drinking Water Week is integral to any successful celebration.
- Advertise in your local newspaper
- Send bill stuffers
- Coordinate distribution of AWWA news releases
- Publicize the release of your consumer confidence report
- Send public service announcements to your local radio or television stations
Community Events
It is important for you to be a part of your local community. Community events are fun and festive ways to make sure that your customers know about their drinking water — where it comes from, how they get it, and what they can do to ensure their drinking water quality.
- Inaugurate an Adopt-a-Hydrant program
- Plant a tree
- Bury a time capsule
- Partner with your local botanic gardens or other groups
Youth Focus
- Feature a children’s coloring contest or essay contest
- Hold a poster contest
- A great community outreach method: school presentations
Internal Communications & Events
- Create a utility newsletter feature on Drinking Water Week
History
In 1988, AWWA brought Drinking Water Week to the attention of the U.S. government and formed a coalition along with the League of Women Voters, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Rep. Robert Roe and Sen. Dennis DeConcini subsequently sponsored a resolution to name the first week of May as Drinking Water Week, and the week-long observance was declared in a joint congressional resolution signed by then President Ronald Reagan.
Future Dates
Drinking Water Week is celebrated the first full week in May each year. Future dates are listed below.
Advertisement
