It's Water-Wise Wednesdays with Frannie the Fish! {World Water Monitoring Day}

 

Frannie will be back in two weeks with the last installment of the TAPS activities, but she didn't want to miss sharing World Water Monitoring Day with you!

World Water Monitoring Day is celebrated on September 18th and is different that World Water Day (which we celebrate on March 22). The first World Water Monitoring Day was in 2003 when America's Clean Water Foundation created a challenge to empower individuals to monitor their local water bodies. In 2015, the challenge was taken on by EarthEcho International. 

Now, with a simple test kit and an account on the EarthEcho Water Challenge app, you and your friends can join over 1.6 million people in 146 counties world wide in learning about and protecting our water sources.

Joining online or via the mobile app is easy and you can create an account with Google or Facebook. Once you have an account, you can start monitoring your local creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, and more! The database allows you to add important water quality information, pictures of the site, and information about the citizen scientists (that's you!) who collected the data.

 

You can collect data all year long, as long as you can access the liquid water in your area. Just remember to follow the water safety rules, which you can find on The Groundwater Foundation's website.

Be safe and Happy World Water Monitoring Day!

BLOG: Groundwater Guardians Raising Awareness on Social Media

by Sara Brock, The Groundwater Foundation

The Groundwater Foundation’s Groundwater Guardian (GG) Program has been around 23 years, making a difference in communities across North America as they conserve groundwater and protect it from pollutants. 

The world has changed a lot since the program's inception in 1994, but what hasn't changed is the creativity of GG teams to find new ways to reach out to their communities.

Now it’s 2017 and we’re pretty firmly planted in the age of the internet. As we're on the cusp of National Groundwater Awareness Week 2017 (March 5-11), check out these 5 GG teams who are going with the flow and using social media to raise awareness and spread their message.

1) Carmel, Indiana

Carmel City Utilities uploads funny informational videos to YouTube starring city employees, drama club students, and villainous sewer clogs. These videos are also occasionally aired on local channels. Check one of their videos out below or visit their YouTube Channel for more.

2) City of Battle Creek, Michigan

The GG team of Battle Creek has jumped on the trend of using social media to promote sales. This year? Rain barrels. You don’t need to be a city resident to buy one, but you do need drop by their Public Works Building to pick it up. Check out their Facebook page or get right to the sale by clicking here. 

3) Hamilton to New Baltimore Groundwater Consortium, Ohio

The Hamilton to New Baltimore Groundwater Consortium hopped on the Fun Run bandwagon to great success, using Facebook’s events feature to promote its Annual Race for Global Water 5K. The next one isn’t until August, but you can still check out the great photos from the race or read up on past and future events, by clicking here. 

                          

4) Northeastern Regional Groundwater Protection Planning Committee, Illinois

This GG team has innovatively used social media as a professional networking tool, sharing resources in their area and reposting pages with useful tips for water conservation. Head over to their Facebook page to see resources from the Water Quality Association, the Illinois Association of Groundwater Professionals, and even yours truly, The Groundwater Foundation. 

5) Mission Springs Water District, California

The Mission Springs Water District is a Groundwater Guardian Affiliate, meaning they provide services and support to local GG teams. Mission Springs helps their customers and community stay engaged by sending out newsletters including press releases and information on upcoming meetings and events. Sign up here to receive regular emails or, if you prefer, direct mailings about this amazing community.  

Share what you're doing to celebrate National Groundwater Awareness Week with us on The Groundwater Foundation's Twitter and Facebook page.