Protect Your Groundwater Day (#PYGWD) will take place on September 4. An annual observance established to highlight the responsible development, management, and use of groundwater, the event is also a platform to encourage yearly water well testing and well maintenance.
Get involved
In the weeks leading up to #PYGWD, NGWA encourages everyone to become official “groundwater protectors” by taking steps to conserve and protect the resource. Businesses, individuals, educators, students, federal agencies, cities, associations, and everyone in between can ask to be added to our groundwater protector list through our website or on social media. Have a great story to tell? Great! Send it our way and we may highlight your efforts.
August is also National Water Quality Month, providing an additional opportunity to get educated and spread the good word about protecting groundwater.
Resources
Additionally, on NGWA’s #PYGWD site groundwater protectors will find a toolkit with downloadable and shareable materials to spread the word. These materials include:
- Suggested social media posts (just copy and share!)
- List of facts about groundwater
- #PYGWD FAQs
- Logos and graphics, including email header, social media images, printable groundwater protector icon, and more
- Press release to share with local media or government officials.
Facts
Approximately 132 million Americans rely on groundwater for drinking water. It is used for irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, thermoelectric power, and several additional purposes, making it one of the most widely used and valuable natural resources we have. Consider the following facts:
- Americans use 79.6 billion gallons of groundwater each day.
- Groundwater is 20 to 30 times larger than all U.S. lakes, streams, and rivers combined.
- 44 percent of the U.S. population depends on groundwater for its drinking water supply.
- More than 13.2 million households have their own well, representing 34 million people.
Please visit www.wellowner.org/pygwd for more!