EGLE Launches Drinking Water Awareness Week To Educate Michiganders
(CBS DETROIT) — The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced the launch of Drinking Water Awareness Week, which will start on Monday, May 3.
This will include a series of events throughout the week designed to help educate Michiganders about where their water comes from and provide tips for residents to ensure they have healthy drinking water.
"As stewards of 21% of the world's fresh surface water, my administration has worked tirelessly to ensure that all families have access to clean drinking water," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "In partnership with EGLE, MDHHS, and MPART, we are proud to launch Drinking Water Awareness Week. Throughout the week, we will help Michiganders learn more about their water supply and continue addressing issues like PFAS, lead, and other contaminants."
Drinking Water Awareness Week will feature a virtual event and several social media postings designed to connect people to state drinking water resources.
"Regardless of whether your water comes from a municipal supply or private well, there are still things you can do to make sure you're serving our families healthy drinking water," said Ninah Sasy, EGLE's Inaugural Clean Water Public Advocate.
For the first time in Michigan, Governor Whitmer has proclaimed Tuesday, May 4, as Private Residential Well Awareness Day.
This day will focus on information and resources about the one million private drinking water wells serving an estimated 25 percent of households in Michigan.
"While there are benefits to having your own well, and in many cases, it is a necessity, private wells come with added responsibility," said Sasy. "Our hope is to provide private well owners with the knowledge and resources to properly maintain and test their wells for potential contaminants. Proper well maintenance and testing are critical to ensuring that your family has healthy drinking water."
The events on Wednesday, May 5, will focus on Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are manmade contaminants that are not biodegradable and move easily through groundwater. On Thursday, May 6, the focus will be lead in drinking water, which is a concern for households with older plumbing.
Friday will wrap up the weeklong event and will provide an update of Michigan's collective efforts to support healthy drinking water across the state, which includes Governor Whitmer's MI Clean Water Plan to invest $500 million in federal dollars, state bonding authority, and existing state revenues to create a comprehensive, statewide water infrastructure program.
For more information about Drinking Water Awareness Week visit, Michigan.Gov/DrinkingWaterAwarenessWeek.
© 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.