Raise a Glass to Miami's Water During Drinking Water Week
Updated: May 12, 2020
From the moment you wake up, reliable and safe drinking water plays an unsung, starring role for many of your life’s activities: your morning shower, brushing your teeth, cooking and making that cup – or cups - of coffee.
Knowing that your water is safe – especially now – during the Coronavirus State of Emergency is even more essential.
That’s why the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) are observing Drinking Water Week (May 3-9, 2020) to celebrate and recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.
This year’s theme is “There When You Need It.” It is an accurate description of the department’s 2,600 employees who all contribute to our community’s more than 2.3 million customers receiving their water around the clock through our more than 8,700 miles of water pipes each day. Our water professionals deliver essential services and their vital roles are often “behind the scenes.”
We withdraw and treat more than 300 million gallons of water each day – enough to fill the Freedom Tower twice! Our lab staff sample and test water throughout the treatment and distribution system more than 150,000 times a year.
“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 AWWA 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.”
It’s also important to have dependable infrastructure to deliver the water. WASD is approximately halfway through its multi-billion dollar Capital Improvement Program, which not only will improve water pressure within the system, but in many cases increase capacity that will allow for current businesses to expand and new businesses to open, adding positive economic impact to Miami-Dade County. “Our tap water plays a vital role in keeping each of us healthy and safe during the coronavirus pandemic,” said WASD Director Kevin Lynskey. “It is important to recognize the critical role water infrastructure plays, every day, in ensuring our tap water is there when you need it for drinking, cooking or hygiene.”