(April 28, 2008)—During National Drinking Water Week (May 5-9), Charleston Water System is raising awareness about what tap water delivers—public health protection, quality of life, fire protection, and support for our economy.
“Drinking Water Week is an opportunity for us to recognize how important a safe and reliable water supply is to our daily lives,” said Kin Hill, Charleston Water System’s Chief Executive Officer. “In the U.S., we have some of the highest quality water in the world, but unfortunately, we often take it for granted, so we want to let people know that tap water is really something to celebrate.”
A safe, reliable water supply is critical to the success of our community. We rely on our water infrastructure every day, yet we seldom stop to think about the value of tap water and how critical it is to our health and quality of life. It attracts industry and investment and provides for the health and welfare of citizens in ways ranging from disease prevention to fire suppression.
Charleston Water System is the largest water utility in the Lowcountry, providing drinking water to some 400,000 people. Water treated at the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant is carried to homes and businesses through a network of water mains totaling 1,600 miles.
Water from the Bushy Park Reservoir and the Edisto River is highly treated and meets or exceeds all state and federal water quality regulations. It is tested more than 56,000 times each year to ensure it is safe to drink; a summary of those results is included in Charleston Water’s annual water quality report, which will be mailed to all customers in the May water bill (click here to download report).
What Only Tap Water Delivers
Public Health Protection. In a world where an estimated three million people die every year from preventable waterborne diseases, people in the U.S. can drink from virtually any public tap with a high assurance of safety. Without our modern water systems, diseases such as cholera and dysentery would be a tragic part of our everyday life.
Fire Protection. In the United States alone, more than 1.5 million fires happen each year. While most of us never think about fires until they occur, there is a vast network of water infrastructure in place to protect us when they do. The water flowing to fire hydrants and home faucets is transported by the same system of water mains, pumps, and storage tanks.
Support for the Economy. Though often taken for granted, tap water is critical to the daily operations of existing businesses and to the vitality of new commercial enterprises and residential developments in a host of important ways. From foods and beverages, to toothpastes and perfumes, water is the primary ingredient in hundreds of thousands of every day products. The availability of water resources and service has a profound effect on job creation and overall economic prosperity.
Quality of life. Tap water is more than a convenience; it is central to our everyday lives. Any measure of a successful society ― low mortality rates, economic diversity, productivity, public safety ― is in some way related to access to safe water. Americans tap into about 341 billion gallons of tap water every day.
Tap Water by the Numbers
| 400,000 |
People served by Charleston Water System |
| $0.0027 |
Cost of a gallon of Charleston tap water |
| 50 million |
Average daily demand for Charleston’s tap water (in gallons) |
| 1,600 |
Miles of water mains |
| 8,165 |
Fire Hydrants |
| 56,000 |
Water quality tests conducted in 2007 |
| 69.3 |
Average number of gallons every American uses in one day (for indoor use)* |
| 48 |
Average gallons used for toilet flushing in a single family home without low-flush
toilets (compared to 24 with ultra low flush toilets) * |
| 200 |
Gallons of water a leaky toilet can waste in one day* |
| 1.1 billion |
People worldwide who do not have access to safe drinking water** |
| |
*Source: AwwaRF study, Residential End Users of Water, 2000
**Source: World Health Organization |
-End-
Learn more about Drinking Water Week
Back to press releases
|
