NEWS RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA

May 4, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEFFERSON PARISH TO RECOGNIZE DRINKING WATER WEEK 2023

JEFFERSON, LA –The Jefferson Parish Water Department and partners throughout North America are celebrating Drinking Water Week, a decades-long tradition led by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Observed during the week of Sunday, May 7 – Saturday, May, 13, 2023, Drinking Water Week is a celebration recognizing the vital role water plays in everyday life for both water professionals and the communities they serve.

Jefferson Parish is observing Drinking Water Week by inviting the public to learn about how vital clean and safe water is in daily life, its role in protecting public health and for the environment now and in the future. This year, Drinking Water Week encourages participants to recognize and honor the critical work that water professionals accomplish around the clock to deliver quality tap water, while bolstering resilience for water in the future. Consumers are encouraged to learn about the critical infrastructure that transports water from the Mississippi River through the treatment process and then to the customer’s home to ensure continued access to safe drinking water. The estimated two million miles of watermains across North America are aging and increased investment is necessary to assure they can reliably deliver safe water to homes and businesses.

“In 2021, Jefferson Parish citizens voted on the continuation of the Consolidated Waterworks Millage, that had been in place for thirty years, due to its sole source of funding for all Jefferson Parish Water Department capital projects,” said Director of the Water Department Sidney J. Bazley III. “Without the funding, Jefferson Parish would have not been able to maintain or upgrade its aging water infrastructure, which effects the approximate 160,000 total water accounts in Jefferson Parish. This includes Unincorporated Jefferson Parish and the municipalities of Kenner, Harahan, Jean Lafitte and Grand Isle, as well as the portion of the City of Gretna. Additionally, funds for the Water Department Capital Budget, which includes improvements in the water treatment plants and their intakes and the replacement of aging and broken water lines, key projects would’ve had to been put on hold and Jefferson Parish would’ve lost the sole recurring source of funding for capital improvements for its water system. This is a prime example of the essential role water has on our daily lives and why we will recognize Drinking Water Week here in Jefferson Parish.”

For more information about Drinking Water Week, visit www.AWWA.org/DrinkingWaterWeek. For several decades, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives.

For more information about the Jefferson Parish Water Department, visit www.JeffParish.net/WaterDepartment.

For more information about Jefferson Parish, visit www.JeffParish.net Residents can also receive regular updates by following the Parish on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@JeffParishGov) or by texting JPALERT or JPNOTICIAS to 888-777.

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Jefferson Parish Public Information Office 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Suite 1002 Jefferson, LA 70123

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Gretchen Hirt Gendron, PIO