While having access to clean water is considered a basic human right, according to UNICEF, 884 million people around the work do not have access to clean drinking water. Women–mothers especially–are fierce advocates for clean water!
Remember Kansas native Erin Brockovich’s work on the Hinkley groundwater contamination in California?
Seven years ago, pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, provided the world with a stark image of a baby bottle filled with water from Flint, Michigan. She brought to light the disparities access to clean water can have on our health, behavior, race, and politics.
Fast forward to 2017 in our very own backyard, Ch2m Hill, Table Rock Capital and Goldman Sachs assessed Wichita’s single sourced water treatment facility and found that 1/3 of our 80-year-old infrastructure was found to be in very poor condition. Alarmingly, this accounts for 99% of our city’s water usage.
Although our city council took action to secure land for a new facility to replace the aging and declining facility in 1993 construction didn’t begin until 2020 with the expected date of operation set for late 2024. Glass half full, right?
As we approach June 23, which marks the day we recognize proper hydration, what can you do to ensure your drinking water is clean and that you are properly hydrated?
1. Pay attention to your environment, ecosystem, and community. Ask questions! Our infrastructure is 80 years old and supplies water to our city and most of the surrounding areas including Andover, Derby, Park City and Rose Hill. While our city council has a plan for the future, smaller surrounding cities are dependent on this source as well.
2. Have your water tested! According to the EPA, we should be testing our water regularly for a variety of concerns—repeated gastrointestinal illness, questionable smell, taste or appearance, proximity to landfills, intense agriculture usage—just to name a few. Check out this resource on how to get your water tested.
3. Use a water filter. Many refrigerators have water filters built directly into them, however changing out the lines helps with the longevity of your filtration system and provides cleaner, clearer water.
4. Drink at least 1/2 of your body weight in water. For many of us, this can be a challenge. Filling up a designated pitcher or vessel each day and adding a lemon or lime, cucumber and mint, helps give a twist to an otherwise repetitive boring taste. Proper hydration helps with the body’s absorption, skin complexion (good-bye acne and wrinkles!) and digestion.
5. Grab a cute, personalized decorative but functional water bottle or tumbler. I tend to drink things quicker with a straw and prefer a dishwasher safe container over hand wash only, however when I found these easy-peasy bottle cleaning tablets, these became a game changer for me.
How will you observe National Hydration Day?
