Drinking Water Awareness Week

Do you know where your water comes from?  The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home, yet only 23% of Americans know where their water comes from.  The American Water Works Association has designated May 1 -7 as Drinking Water Awareness Week, with the 2016 theme being “Your Water: to know it is to love it.”

So, how do you ‘get to know your water’?  First, you can start by understanding that water and wastewater services are a 24/7/365 operation.  The Clinton County Health Department regulates approximately 210 Public Water Systems to ensure safe drinking water is provided to the public. They are responsible for monitoring more than 100 contaminants on a regular basis, staying in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Health standards for drinking water. 

Each water system is maintained by a Water Operator, working hard to ensure that the water you drink is safe.  One such operator is Jamie Giroux, Water Operator at Saranac Central School District.  When asked why what he does is important to community health, he stated, “The process of supplying good, safe drinking water is very demanding and rewarding.  I always strive to provide only the highest quality of domestic drinking water.”  Part of ‘getting to know your water’ is most definitely understanding that there are many ‘real’ people working diligently every day to ensure that when you turn on your tap, safe, drinkable water comes out.  The Clinton County Health Department thanks Jamie Giroux and all of the other Water Operators out there for the excellent work they do!