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NEWS | March 19, 2019

World Water Day

By Dawn Christian, JBLE-Langley Water Program Manager 633d CES/CEI

World Water Day was declared in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly to provide education on water conservation and other pressing water issues around the world. 

Every year on March 22, attention is brought to the importance of water. This year’s World Water Day’s focus is wastewater, or what's flushed down the toilet. 

Did you know, what you flush down the toilet can affect stormwater flowing into the rivers and could end up in your drinking water.  It’s true!

Flushing wipes, drugs, oils, grease, feminine products, food scraps, cotton swabs, facial tissues, family planning products, or even cat litter down the toilet is harmful to the environment.

Flushing items other than toilet paper, water and human waste causes serious problems for sewer pipes.  When clogs or breaks happen, they can send untreated sewage back into your home, into the street and storm drain, which end up floating around in our waterways.  Larger items such as wipes and feminine products have jammed pumps and clogged pipes, resulting in costly maintenance and repairs.  

When sewage overflows into the streets and into the storm drains, it causes a sudden rise in harmful nitrogen and bacteria in the waterways.  The high levels cause a decline in marine life, beach closures and health warnings on consuming local seafood.

Do your part in protecting our precious resources by only flushing toilet paper, water and human waste down the toilet.

For more information contact Dawn Christian, JBLE-Langley Water Program Manager at 757-764-1141 or email Dawn.Christian@us.af.mil