Water Matters Day -- A Family Water Appreciation Day of Facts and Fun
Posted by Bill Lansdowne
on Aug 05, 2011
Manhattan, Kansas -- Rotary International actively tackles
water and sanitation challenges worldwide by providing local support for Rotary
members to initiate and volunteer for a variety of international projects. For
several years the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club has donated dollars and volunteer
time for ongoing water and sanitation projects around the world. Most recently Manhattan
volunteers braved heat, humidity and treacherous roads in Panama's central
mountains to install simple, effective, community-sized water filters. The
rugged, maintenance-free filters installed in Panama work for many years to
ensure Panamanian indigenous mountain communities clean, disease-free water
sources.
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"Our Konza Rotary leadership has identified a club desire
to also generate a positive impact on the life and livelihood of those in our
community. We will do this by financially supporting local water projects and
sponsoring an annual education and recreation Water Matters Day," said Manhattan Konza Rotary President Bill
Landsdowne.
The 2011 Water Matters
Day will be held at the Manhattan City Pool, on Poyntz Avenue, on Sunday, August
14 from 1:00 until 11:00 pm. The event is presented by Manhattan Konza Rotary
Club in partnership with the City of Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department.
The day at the City Pool will include interaction with corporate
sponsors, organizational water quality resource booths and educational volunteers.
The day's activities are structured to reacquaint the community with their supply
of clean, drinkable water. Non-profit water-quality organizations will also
have information on what the future holds for this valuable resource--and have
some fun at the same time! It's the last day the swimming pool is open for the
summer and all Water Matters Day
festivities are available to swimmers! Non-swimmers are also admitted free to
the pool area to take part in the water education at the non-profit booths and the
free food or giveaways provided by event corporate sponsors. It's a good chance
for people to come see the new pool!
As the sun sets, and to finish the evening, a great water
related movie, Finding Nemo, will be
shown on a special outdoor screen at City Park Pool beginning at 8:30 pm.
What Makes Water Matter?
- Internationally - Motivation for Rotary volunteers to help with international water projects anchors to this Rotary research fact: 80% of all sickness and disease -- killing more people every year than all forms of violence, including war -- is simply a result of unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation. In this number, the biggest worldwide killer of children under the age of five is unsafe water: 1.8 million children die every year -- one child will die every 17 seconds and 5,000 children will die today.
- Nationally - Of all US potable water production, one gallon out of six is lost back to the ground because of faulty infrastructure. As a nation we spend $21 billion annually on bottled water, but barely $26 billion on water purification, dams, water system infrastructure and water system technology upgrades/planning. As a nation we spend nearly as much on throw-away plastic water bottles as we do on maintenance, expansion and technology upgrades for the country's main water sources and distribution systems!
- Locally - Manhattan City Government has overseen water and sanitation infrastructure advancements and upgrades through planning for water procurement, water distribution, water treatment, water storage and sanitary sewer collection and treatment since the first municipal water services in 1888 and the first water treatment plant in 1912.
"The City of Manhattan has seen a lot of improvements
over the years in the provision of potable water to our customers,” said City
Manager Ron Fehr. "We are currently engaged in an expansion of both our
well field and our water treatment plant from a 20 Million Gallon per Day (MGD)
facility to a 30 MGD facility. Over the past decade the City has invested
over $34 million in water infrastructure improvements and in excess of $44 million
in wastewater improvements including a current $25 million plant improvement
and expansion project. Having good clean water and using it wisely is a
critical function along with returning the used water to the environment in an
appropriate condition is not just mandated, it is the right thing to do as
well.” Fehr added.
Water to impact the
future of Kansas
With a significant portion of Kansas' economic output coming
from agricultural production supporting the livestock industry; this business dependence
on a rapidly depleting Ogallala Aquifer should be a worry to everyone in
Kansas. A recent State conference in Colby underscores the significance. Of
equal concern to Kansans living in the eastern third of the state is the
dependence on our reservoirs as a water source. Reservoirs in the state are
rapidly silting, causing depletion of water storage that many cities depend on
for their water.
Many changes are coming in the way drinking water is
sourced, distributed and finally used or consumed. Conservation, technology,
planning, government and ultimately taxes are part of the mix in water politics
for the coming generations. Find out more about this life-giving and necessary
resource--attend Water Matters Day.
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For more information about Water Matters Day corporate sponsorships, contact Water Matters Day Committee Member Rich
Jankovich at 785-587-1556 or e-mail: Richard.Jankovich@CommerceBank.com
For Water Matters Day
media information contact Konza Rotary PR Chair, Dan Knupp, at 785-456-4221 or
e-mail: dknupp@wamego.net