March 22, 2024
World Water Day 2024: Ohio’s Water, Our Shared Responsibility
Protect Our Water, Protect Our Future
Every year on March 22nd, we celebrate World Water Day – a day dedicated to raising awareness and inspiring action to tackle the global water crisis. This year’s theme, “Water for Peace”, reminds us that all Ohioans deserve access to safe, clean, and affordable water.
When we protect our water together, we protect our future, too. Learn more about a few of Ohio’s water challenges below, and find out how you can take action with the OEC to safeguard our water resources for generations to come.
Ohio’s Water Challenges
Here in Ohio, we’re fortunate to have an abundance of freshwater resources — but that doesn’t mean we can take them for granted. Our state faces challenges including:
- Aging water infrastructure: Lead service lines remain a threat to our communities’ health.
- Agricultural pollution: When it rains, excess farm fertilizer flows into waterways, contaminating them.
- Harmful algal blooms: This toxic algae threatens drinking water, aquatic life, and Ohio’s economy.
- Disparities in access: Not all Ohio communities have equal access to safe, clean water.
About the OEC’s Clean Water Advocacy
We envision a future where all Ohioans have equitable access to safe, clean water — whether it’s for drinking or recreating on one of our many beautiful waterways. But water infrastructure improvements are chronically underfunded. Because of this, historically marginalized and low-income communities often shoulder the financial burden of providing access to clean, safe, affordable drinking water. These problems intensify when Ohio communities must deal with existing persistent issues, like toxic algae, and emerging threats — such as newly-identified PFAS contaminants — in drinking water sources.
Despite these challenges, the Ohio Environmental Council is dedicated to securing protections for waterways across the state. With support from environmental advocates like you, the OEC’s Water Team works to:
- Advocate for stronger local, state, and federal regulations to safeguard Ohio’s water resources.
- Inform Ohioans of equitable clean water policies and water investment programs.
- Support policies that ensure every Ohio community has access to clean and affordable drinking water — no matter where they live or how much money they make.
