Celebrate Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week with important tips to support water resources.
The water we drink. The water we enjoy. The water we use. There’s only one water. And it belongs to all of us.
Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner's Office joins partners throughout Michigan in celebrating Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week from June 1-9 by supporting One Water stewardship.
The Great Lakes, along with our smaller lakes and rivers, provide all the freshwater we could ever need. While this water is plentiful, we depend just as much on the water providers and systems responsible for treating and delivering the water we drink, the water that falls, and the water we send down the drain.
The systems that treat our stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water are interrelated. It takes thousands of miles of pipes and a workforce of devoted professionals to cycle water out of our lakes and rivers, through our treatment plants, into our homes, back through wastewater treatment plants, and into our lakes and rivers again.
To keep our water fresh and flowing, it also takes a collective effort of everyone living in [community] to be stewards of our water resources. During Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week and beyond, all residents are encouraged to support water resources with the following tips.
One Water tips
Drinking Water
- A “Boil Water Advisory” is a notification issued by your local community as a precautionary measure. Boil water advisories are distributed if there is a possibility of microbiological contamination in the drinking water system.
- A “Do Not Use Advisory” is a notification issued by your local community to alert the community not to use tap water for any purpose. This advisory is typically used only in emergency situations.
- Understand the age and condition of your home's water infrastructure. This can help you determine actions to take to keep your infrastructure in good shape.
- Learn where your water comes from. This will allow you to learn more about the water body and service provider that bring water to your home.
Stormwater
- Remove garbage, leaves, and other debris from your yard. This will help prevent unwanted debris from entering the storm drain.
- Keep local storm drains clear. If you notice a storm drain backed up with leaves, lawn clippings, or garbage, remove the debris to allow water to flow freely.
- Pick up pet waste and dispose of it in the trash.
- Never fertilize your lawn before a storm event. If possible, reduce the amount of chemicals you apply to your lawn, including pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.
- If you can, plant a tree or implement a rain garden at your house. Green infrastructure, such as rain gardens, helps water absorb into the ground, preventing water and pollutant runoff.
Wastewater
- Pour fats, oils, and greases (FOG) into covered containers and cans, and dispose of them in the trash when full.
- Wipe down pots and pans with a paper towel to remove any remaining FOG.
- Scrape food and scraps into the trash when possible.
- Avoid flushing medications down the toilet or drain when another safe option is available.
- Dispose of feminine products, tissues, paper towels, and other trash in the garbage.
- Only flush the Three P's down the toilet: pee, poop, and paper.
Learn more about One Water, an initiative from our partners the Freshwater Forum at the Cranbrook Institue of Science, Great Lakes Water Authority, and SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments at miOneWater.org.