Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have assured consumers that drinking water was safe to use as normal.
The consistent and reliable quality of drinking water is at the heart of the theme for this year’s Drinking Water Week, “There When You Need It” which this year is May 3rd through May 9th.
The City of Yakima and communities around the country will observe Drinking Water Week by recognizing the vital role tap water plays in daily life, the infrastructure that is required to carry it to and from homes and businesses, and the important work of water professionals “behind the scenes”.
“Many communities, including the City of Yakima, are fortunate to have reliable access to safe water when they turn on the tap,” said Assistant Public Works Director David Brown. “In large part this stems from the regular testing by the City’s Water/Irrigation Division to ensure that regulatory standards for water quality are met. In fact, every water system must publish a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which details its water quality.”
To commemorate the week, water utilities, water organizations, government entities, environmental advocates, schools and other stakeholders throughout North America and beyond will encourage consumers to understand and appreciate their drinking water.
“Shortly after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, the EPA and CDC each reminded us that we should trust our tap water as we normally would for hygiene and hydration,” said American Water Works Association CEO David LaFrance. “This proved to be extremely important because handwashing is an important way to stop the spread of the virus. We couldn’t do that without high-quality drinking water.”
Visit https://www.yakimawa.gov/services/water-irrigation/ for more about the City of Yakima Water/Irrigation Division.