NEWS & UPDATES
For Immediate Release
March 21, 2024
Board of Water Supply And City Agencies Team Up
to Observe World Water Day, March 22
HONOLULU - On Friday, March 22, 2024, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS), in collaboration with the City’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV) and the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (Resilience Office), along with government and private agencies around the world, will commemorate World Water Day.
This year’s theme, Water for Peace, emphasizes the need to unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource. “Fresh drinking water is limited and, with more than a million residents on Oʻahu, it is absolutely imperative that we work together to implement efficient water conservation practices," said BWS Manager and Chief Engineer Ernie Lau. “We can make a difference by changing how we use, consume, and manage water in our lives. This will help ensure a reliable water supply today and for generations to come. Ka Wai Ola – Water For Life.”
As our global population grows and climate change impacts increase, clean and safe drinking water and adequate sanitation will become scarcer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water, while 3.6 billion do not have safe sanitation services. In 2019, the U.S. Water Alliance reported that more than 2 million people in the United States were without running water or basic plumbing services. This is why we must strive to ensure universal access to safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment, no matter where we live.
The World Water Day event has two components to engage Oʻahu residents throughout the month of March.
- Video Vignettes/Short Stories/Education Material: Go to www.boardofwatersupply.com/worldwaterday and watch short video vignettes, read articles and inspiration stories about the global water and sanitation crisis. Find out what you can do to make a difference by conserving water, reducing waste, and mitigating climate change today and in the future.
- Social media outreach: Be sure to check out the BWS’s (@BWSHonolulu), ENV’s (@HNL.ENV) and the Resilience Office’s (@ResilientOahu) social media pages all month long to learn about World Water Day.
For more information on World Water Day, please contact the Board of Water Supply’s Communications Office at (808) 748-5040 or email contactus@hbws.org.
Contact:
Kathleen Pahinui
Information Officer
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
Phone: (808) 748-5319