Confessing about groundwater

Since joining the Foundation in the Spring of 2009, my family has become more and more aware of water and specifically groundwater. I’ve taken a lot of the practices that I have learned and that I teach on a daily basis at work home with me, from reducing the amount of water I apply to my lawn to taking shorter showers and encouraging them to do the same.

This week my son, Bret, is getting confirmed into the local Lutheran church. As part of that process there is a night of questioning to see what he has learned. In preparation for that night, we have been going over the questions at home. One of the questions was, what type of water is used in baptism? Of course the normal response would be regular water or H2O. When practicing I told him if by chance that he would get the question on the night of questioning he should answer it with “groundwater”, which is the same as regular H2O.

Last night was the big night. There were eight other classmates that were being asked questions as well so the chances were slim of him getting the question. But unbelievably when it was time for that question it came to Bret. I sat frozen and wondered how he would respond to our Pastor.

The response, “H2O, groundwater.” I got the biggest smile on my face as he shared this new knowledge with everyone in the church.

Who would you be willing to share this with today?

-- Brian Reetz, Program Coordinator

What does it take to get safe, reliable and sustainable water to our faucets?

By Nancy Wright, Groundwater Foundation Board Member

Each state has their own way/laws of making that happen. One common aspect is moving water through pipes is not nearly as easy as it seems. It takes qualified, certified, experienced and dedicated people. It also takes lots of engineering to defy the laws of nature to make water move from a system comprised of a combination of surface water, groundwater wells, reservoirs to pumps and miles of pipeline to get that water into our faucets.

So this brings up the question: What is that service worth?

This is a relatively new question in the world of water, what are we willing to pay? Does our monthly cell phone charge or our TV cable or internet connection take priority? If so, should it?

I believe that this topic and all of these questions deserve attention. I believe educating the general public about the complexity of bringing water to our faucets will lead them to the same conclusion that I have reached – ensuring safe, reliable water arrives in our faucets is extremely valuable.

What will you do to celebrate Earth Day?

April marks a lot of great spring events, including Earth Day! It is time now to find out what events are taking place in your community to celebrate Earth Day. You can do that by visiting http://www.earthday.org/.

There are quite a few things happening in my local area. I am excited to take part in a two-day celebration at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. The celebration will begin on Wednesday, April 20 at 4:00 pm at the Wayne Majestic Theatre. The landmark movie Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic For Our Time will be screened. Thursday events will include educational presentations, a bike ride and finish with a Nature Trail Cleanup.

If you can, join us at Wayne State College. Otherwise, find out what is happening in your neck of the woods and celebrate our beautiful planet Earth!


Jane Griffin
The Groundwater Foundation