In recognition of efforts to protect local groundwater supplies, the Dayton Multi-Jurisdictional Source Water Protection Program has been named a 2016 Groundwater Guardian by The Groundwater Foundation, a national nonprofit organization with the mission to educate people and inspire action to ensure sustainable, clean groundwater for future generations.
Groundwater Guardian is a unique, locally-driven program that brings diverse sectors of a community--including business, government, educators and citizens--together to work toward protecting a community's groundwater resources. Groundwater Guardians also form teams that implement activities to address local groundwater concerns and issues.
The Dayton Multi-Jurisdictional Source Water Program's extensive outreach and educational activities in 2016 included:
- Making 68 presentations on groundwater protection to citizens' groups, community organizations, school classrooms and a business and economic development conference;
- River cleanups;
- Water treatment plant tours;
- Maintaining the green roof on City Hall;
- Using portable taps and a water trailer to provide free drinking water at public events;
- Using an Enviroscape model to demonstrate runoff and pollution prevention;
- Hosting the 20th Annual Children's Water Festival, which was attended by 1,700 fourth grade students, featuring presentations, entertainers, mascots and outdoor activities focused on groundwater, surface water, pollution prevention, wetlands and recycling; and
- Participating in a Water Career Conference for approximately 200 high school juniors and seniors to learn about careers in the water industry.
Additionally, the team promoted pollution prevention practices at business inspections and distributed the PROGRESS newsletter to 260 businesses and property owners in the source water protection area. The publication included information on potential groundwater contaminants and prevention measures, resources for risk reduction projects and more.
In recognition of these activities, the City of Dayton received three Public Technology Institute Solution Awards for achievements in groundwater protection and educating future environmental stewards.