It’s April! This month is always a special one for me and not just because it’s me and my sisters birth month. The month of April signifies the start of warmer weather, and if you’re in the water/wastewater community it’s the month dedicated to bringing awareness to water.

Water is a resource that many of us take for granted. While we all know that it’s essential to life, because its so easily available to us (speaking from a privileged perspective) we tend to be ignorant to just how important water is to our world and every living thing. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law saw historic investments in water, but there is still a lot of work to be done and we need to keep building on this momentum and further elevate water as a national priority.

This year, #WaterWeek (April 24th–30th) will be back to Washington, D.C. where water professionals come together to advocate to our elected officials and policymakers about the importance of ensuring all communities have access to safe, reliable, affordable, and clean drinking water. The Water & Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association Inc. (WWEMA) is also having their Washington Forum during this important week (April 26th-28th). This is their annual legislative, regulatory, and policy meeting that’s purpose is to connect people to leaders in the water industry. Their theme this year is ‘Advocating For Today-Educating For Tomorrow’ which I think is pretty powerful!

Other key industry events happening around to topic of water is Texas Water (April 4th-7th) which is the largest regional water conference in the U.S. This annual conference is for professionals in the water/wastewater sector and casts a very wide net of touching engineers, technicians, manufacturers, universities, government officials and so many more all aimed at finding ways to protect public health and the environment. We also have The Water Tower’s Demo Day (April 22nd) which is an event designed for tech companies, manufacturers, firms, and utilities to come together and learn about the water industry’s latest technologies, cutting-edge topics, and networking with like-minded water professionals.

Phew – that’s a lot going on in one month! It can become overwhelming, at least for me, to try and figure out where best to put my attention/efforts but I believe that there isn’t one wrong answer. As long as we as individuals are doing something to help make a difference when it comes to water, I think that’s all that matters. Maybe it’s going to Washington and participating in #WaterWeek, maybe it’s participating in a conference/event to learn about ways you can be incorporating new technologies into your systems to be more effectively utilizing water, or maybe it’s making a difference in your household by being mindful about how much water you’re using each day. Every effort makes an impact. So, my question for you during this inspiring month all about water – what are you doing to make a difference?

Lastly, I wouldn’t be holding true to my nature if I didn’t share something personal with you. In celebration of water, here is one of my favorite bands singing about what else…WATER! Enjoy!