HomeMy WebLinkAboutDOW05032021DOWAWWAhonorsNationalDrinkingWaterWeek
www.kauaiwater.org
NEWS RELEASE
DEPARTMENT OF WATER, COUNTY OF KAUA`I
MEDIA CONTACT: JONELL KAOHELAULI’I, INFORMATION & EDUCATION SPECIALIST
245-5461| JKAOHELAULII@KAUAIWATER.ORG | FACEBOOK: @KAUAIDOW
For immediate release:
May 3, 2021
DOW, AWWA honors National Drinking Water Week
LIHUE – The Department of Water (DOW), American Water Works Association (AWWA) and water utility partners
throughout North America, is celebrating National Drinking Water Week, May 3 to 7 as a reminder to consumers
that high quality drinking water is “There When You Need It”.
National Drinking Water Week recognizes 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.
“Water infrastructure resiliency is paramount in our operations. From source to storage, our water systems safely
delivers drinking water to homes, medical centers and businesses which are critical to health and safety,” said
Mark Knoff, DOW’s Interim Manager and Chief Engineer. “Employees work around the clock whenever necessary
because our customers depend on clean drinking water to be ‘there when you need it’.”
DOW employs 91 service professionals that manage critical water utility functions within six divisions; including
Engineering, Fiscal, Administration, Water Quality, Information Technology and Operations. Together, they
operate and maintain nine of Kaua’i’s public water systems, over 400 miles of underground pipeline and provides
the necessary customer service functions to ensure that high quality drinking water is available for more than
22,000 service connections.
The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on the importance of drinking water for health, hydration and hygiene
needs. In the early stages of the pandemic, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued separate statements assuring consumers that drinking water was
safe to use as normal.
“Shortly after the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, EPA and CDC reminded us that we should trust our tap
water as we normally would for hygiene and hydration purposes,” said American Water Works Association CEO
David LaFrance. “This proves to be extremely vital because handwashing is an important way to stop the spread
of the virus. We couldn’t do that without our high-quality drinking water.”
In celebration of National Drinking Water Week, DOW is offering free keiki activity booklets, a commemorative
rice paddle and other information while supplies last, at their main lobby in Lihue.
Drinking Water Week is celebrated nationally by the AWWA and has been recognized for more than 40 years as
an opportunity to honor both water professionals and the communities they serve. For more information about
the AWWA or Drinking Water Week, visit www.awwa.org
Water has no substitute…Conserve it!
Photos by Department of Water
Photo 1 (left): DOW employees at the
base yard in Lihue.
(Photos taken pre-covid-19)
Photos 2 and 3: DOW personnel performs replacement and repair
work on underground waterlines, island wide.
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