My almost two-year-old son is a HUGE fan of water. In fact, it is difficult for me to do dishes without him insisting to “help dishes.” By “help dishes” he means splash in water while I do all the work. Seeing him happily enjoy playing with water gave me the idea to incorporate water appreciation this Earth Day! Since the Earth is mostly made up of water, it seems more than appropriate to celebrate water on Earth Day!

Why is water important?

Every living thing needs water: humans, animals, plants…everything. While it may look like we have an abundance of water located all throughout our planet, not all that water is in a drinkable form. 

According to The Balance, here are five reasons why it is important to conserve water:

1.)    To prepare for future droughts
2.)    To make water available for recreational purposes
3.)    To guard against rising costs and potential conflict
4.)    To preserve the environment
5.)    To strengthen communities

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd each year. The first Earth Day began in 1970, making this the 51st anniversary of Earth Day! 

Read a Book

I Can Save The Ocean
Olly the Oyster
Silent Spring

Watch a Movie

Avatar
Brave Blue World
The Lorax
The Story of Stuff
Wall-E

Stop Litter from Polluting our Waterways

When you see litter on the ground, take a moment to pick up. Litter on the ground almost always becomes pollution in our waterways. Conduct a litter cleanup in your community! Find out how here.

Take a shorter shower

Try to take a shorter shower on Earth Day! Taking shorter showers saves money, energy, and water. According to the 2016 Residential End Uses of Water Study, showers are tied with faucets as the second largest indoor use of water.

Join our Facebook contest

 

Starting Thursday, April 15, 2021 – April 22, join us on Facebook with our social media contest! We will ask for responses to an Earth Day related question, and on Friday April 23rd, one winner will be randomly selected to win an eco-friendly goody bag!

Learn about SWIFT

Have you heard of the Sustainable Water Initiate For Tomorrow (SWIFT)? SWIFT takes highly treated water and cleans it to drinking water quality standards before recharging it into the Potomac Aquifer. Yes, water that was previous flushed down the toilet and labeled as sewage can be cleaned well enough to meet drinking water quality standards. Take a virtual tour of our SWIFT Research Facility here!

Understand Your Water Bill

Do receive an HRUBS bill or an HRSD bill? Find out more about how to understand your bill here! By understanding your water bill, you are more likely to take action to reduce your water consumption.

 

 

How will you participate in Earth Day this year? Will you be able to celebrate water? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter @HRSDVA.