TFTT Report

For the last 40 years, the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the U.S. EPA, many members of the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) and others have joined together to celebrate Drinking Water Week during the first full week of May. The purpose of the week is to highlight the integral role water plays in our everyday lives.

NAWC members work around the clock 365 days a year to ensure the highest level of water service. When it comes to providing clean drinking water, private water companies have an exceptional record of service. Recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that health-based drinking water quality violations occur significantly less often in water systems owned by private companies compared to government-owned systems. This study validates previous research that found privately-operated water systems are 24% less likely than government-operated systems to incur health violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

This Drinking Water Week, AWWA has made available a variety of resources from worksheets for children to public service announcements. Take time to learn more about all that goes into ensuring the safety of the water that flows from your tap. The more you know, the more you’ll understand that we must all work together to protect our drinking water and the sources from which that water comes.