Bet you also didn't know that this is Drinking Water Week in Missouri. Well, it is.
Don't believe me? Check out the news flash after the jump. It's Daily RFT's "Press Release of the Day."
Celebrate Drinking Water Week in Missouri
Volume 37-123 |
Contact: Susanne C. Medley |
(For immediate release) |
573-751-1010 |
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MAY 4, 2009 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources today kicked off Drinking Water Week, a nationwide celebration of our most precious resource.
"We rely on tap water every day, so much so that it is often taken for granted," said Department of Natural Resources Director Mark Templeton. "Water is fundamental for life and health and Missourians are blessed to have some of the highest quality water in the world."
Drinking Water Week also recognizes Missouri's public drinking water systems for the work they do in providing Missourians with safe drinking water. A safe, reliable water supply is critical to the success of any community. It creates jobs, attracts industry and investment and provides for the health and welfare of citizens in ways ranging from disease prevention to fire suppression. Drinking Water Week is a time to pay tribute to what only tap water can deliver.
Templeton pointed out public water systems in Missouri face increasingly complex challenges, and overall, public water systems in Missouri have an extraordinary compliance record. Each water system is responsible for monitoring conditions at individual water plants and is required to employ trained operators certified by the Department of Natural Resources.
Water systems in Missouri are required to regularly sample water for many different contaminants following federal and state limits. A state-approved laboratory must analyze these samples and report the results to the Department. The majority of testing is done at the Department of Natural Resources' and the Department of Health and Senior Services' labs at no cost to the systems.
In celebration of Drinking Water Week, the Department, in conjunction with the American Water Works Association, held a poster contest.
- Madeleine Tipton, a fifth grade student at Fairview Elementary in Columbia, took first place and received $300.
- · Ramsey Divine, a fifth grade student at Lockwood Elementary in Lockwood, took second place and received $200.
- · Morgan Brewer, a fifth grade student at Lockwood Elementary in Lockwood, took third place and received $100.
The winners were chosen from hundreds of entries submitted by fifth grade students across Missouri. For more information, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/dw-index.htm, or call the Department of Natural Resources' Public Drinking Water Branch at 800-361-4827 or 573-526-1825.
For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the Department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.
