WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY
Every year on September 18th, World Water Monitoring Day aims to increase public awareness for water monitoring and recognizes the importance of protecting the world’s water resources.
Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you didn’t have access to clean drinking water? Sadly, this is the case for many people around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 3 people don’t have access to safe drinking water. This number equals 2 billion people. Unsafe drinking water has a detrimental effect on one’s health. Diseases that result from unsafe drinking water include cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea.
Water monitoring offers one way to ensure people have access to clean drinking water. Monitoring water involves knowing what chemicals are in drinking water. Other factors that affect water quality include temperature, acidity, clarity, and dissolved oxygen.
Water monitoring also involves protecting the world’s water resources. Doing so ensures that rivers, lakes, streams, and other water bodies are kept clean. Polluted water bodies make it more difficult to obtain safe drinking water. This is especially important in countries that don’t have reliable water treatment systems. Contaminated drinking water is the most prevalent in the following countries:
- Ethiopia
- Uganda
- Mozambique
- Somalia
- Pakistan
- Nigeria
Some of the most common water pollutants include sewage, pesticides, fertilizers, chemical waste, human waste, garbage, and oil. Ways to purify water include boiling, filtration, distillation, and chlorination.
HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldWaterMonitoringDay
Water conservation groups encourage the public to do their part to clean local water bodies. It’s also a day for the general public to educate themselves on the quality of their drinking water. Workshops, conferences, webinars, and educational seminars that discuss water monitoring and safety are also held.
To participate:
- Learn about the quality of drinking water in your community.
- Take part in or host a water cleanup day.
- Donate to an organization that helps people gain access to clean water.
- Watch a documentary about water monitoring, such as “In Our Water,” or “Flint.”
Be sure to share this day on social media with #WorldWaterMonitoringDay
WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY HISTORY
America’s Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) established World Water Monitoring Day in 2003. The initial date of October 18th coincided with the anniversary of the US Clean Water Act. In 2006, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) adopted World Water Monitoring Day. The following year, the date was changed to September 18th to facilitate participation in other parts of the world.