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It's Drinking Water Week!
This Drinking Water Week, take the opportunity to learn about your local drinking water. Understanding our water is the first step to conserving and protecting it, and there are steps you can take in your home to help protect your drinking water quality and health!
Michigan recognizes national Drinking Water Week from May 4 – 10, 2025. Drinking Water Week was established by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and its partners over 40 years ago, and it provides an opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives. EGLE’s Office of the Clean Water Public Advocate (OCWPA) collaborates with other state divisions and agencies in using this week to educate the public about their drinking water and promote public resources.
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Information and resources at Michigan.gov/DrinkingWaterWeek can help you learn where your drinking water comes from, how to learn about water quality, who to contact with questions and concerns, and actions you can take to support healthy drinking water in your home. Help others learn about drinking water by sharing any content on your preferred social media platform (graphics available at the bottom of the webpage)! Use the hashtag #DrinkingWaterWeek
Knowing your water supply (view supply types) is key to learning about your water quality and determining who to contact with questions. Depending on your water supply, your local health department or water supplier is likely your best resource for answering questions about your water. How your water is supplied also determines how your water is regulated – when your water is tested and for which contaminants.
During Drinking Water Week, Michigan also proclaims Thursday, May 8, as Private Residential Well Awareness Day to bring attention to the 2.6 million Michiganders who depend on private wells for their drinking water and the responsibilities of well owners to properly maintain and test their wells. These wells are only required to be tested and inspected when installed, but routine maintenance, inspections, and testing is important for protecting your drinking water and your health. Most contaminants in water have no taste, color, or smell. The only way you might know if you have a problem is to test your drinking water using a certified laboratory. Check with your local health department to learn if there are any drinking water concerns in your area and what testing is recommended, and checking your wellhead and surrounding area is quick and easy.
Spotlight on EGLE Classroom and other educational resources
Visit EGLE’s Environmental Lending Station to borrow, free of charge, EnviroScape models and other resources, like “Awesome Aquifer” models, for hands-on demonstrations with your students. These items can allow students to see how contamination impacts groundwater, surface water, watersheds and the Great Lakes. Watch the following demos to understand how they can be used:
MDHHS Drinking Water Youth Activity Bags are an educational resource designed to help children understand how drinking water moves through our environment – from lakes, rivers, and groundwater to our homes. Each bag includes an activity book, colored pencils, a bracelet-making activity, highlighter, bookmark, and sticker sheet. Two versions are available: grades K-2 and grades 3-5.
Visit Michigan.gov/EGLEClassroom for more resources!
Upcoming Events
Coming up the first week of June, Michigan celebrates Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week. Each year, Michigan proclaims this week to raise awareness of the Great Lakes and Michigan’s inland waterways and groundwater. It’s a time to reflect on the interconnectedness between Michiganders and the matchless water resources around us. Michigan is known around the world for these unique natural wonders, which people can help preserve in the face of many challenges. By raising awareness, we will inspire people to protect and be champions of the Great Lakes and fresh water. Our call to action is for residents around the state to learn about, enjoy, appreciate, and safeguard this vital resource for current and future generations. Get involved in a way that’s meaningful to you – find an event near you, take advantage of free fishing weekend, join or organize a local clean up!
Engage more with EGLE to learn about public participation opportunities, understand different types of regulatory actions, and engage through partnerships and collaboration.
Questions? Concerns?
Send an email to [email protected]
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