York Region Celebrates World Water Day

The Regional Municipality of York
Newmarket , Canada, 22 Mar 06

http://www.york.ca

York Region celebrates World Water Day

NEWMARKET – York Region joins others from around the globe in celebrating World Water Day on Wednesday, March 22nd. To promote this event, York Region Health Services and the York Region Transportation and Works Department, with participation of the Water for Tomorrow initiative, have invited two local elementary schools to the Georgina Water Treatment Plant. Children will learn about drinking water from local, regional and international perspectives.

Where: Georgina Water Treatment Plant
27135 Kennedy Road, Willow Beach, Georgina

When: Wednesday, March 22, 2006
8:45 am – 11:45 am

Who: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Elementary School and Deer Park Public School (both of Keswick)

Approximately 60 elementary school children will have the opportunity to tour the Georgina Water Treatment Plant and learn where their water comes from and how it is treated before it arrives at their homes.

The children will continue through the morning with two additional sessions on Water in Developing Nations and Water Conservation. The children will see how a lack of protected water sources and poor sanitary facilities contribute to illness in developing countries. The final session with Water for Tomorrow will concentrate on how we can conserve water in our daily lives, in order to protect this vital natural resource.

The children will each be sent home with a bag of resources and products promoting water conservation and protection.

For more information on World Water Day visit the Web site at www.worldwaterday.org.

For more information on this or other health-related questions, contact York Region Health Services Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 or visit www.york.ca
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Put your well to the test … three times each year

NEWMARKET - Have you tested your well water lately? As spring approaches and we prepare for the warm and sunny weather, York Region Health Services reminds home and cottage owners to test their private well water.

Private well owners should test their well water three times each year, in the spring, summer and fall. Well water should also be tested after any repairs or after flooding, if the well has been dormant, or if there is a change in water appearance, colour or odour.

In celebration of World Water Day 2006 and to encourage private well owners to bring in their well water samples for testing, public health inspectors will be staffing displays, providing promotional items and answering questions concerning private well water.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 8:30 am-12:00 noon

WHERE:
■ Georgina Civic Centre (26557 Civic Centre Road, Keswick)
■ York Region Health Services offices:
• Richmond Hill (50 High Tech Road, 2nd floor)
• Markham (4261 Hwy #7 East)
• Newmarket (Tannery, 465 Davis Dr. 2nd Floor)

Private well owners who drop off their water samples to one of these locations on Tuesday, March 21st will receive a free well information kit and special promotional items (while quantities last). Free well information kits will continue to be available while quantities last at each of the Health Services offices.

Private well water testing is available free of charge to owners of private wells. Results from private water tests are sent to the well owner and the local public health office. York Region Health Services public health inspectors are available to assist in the interpretation of the well water results and offer advice on well disinfection, treatment and maintenance through the Health Connection information line.

For more information on World Water Day visit the website at www.worldwaterday.org.

For more information on testing your private well water or other health-related questions, contact York Region Health Services Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 or visit www.york.ca.

Media Contact: Jennifer Mitchell-Emmerson, York Region Health Services
905-830-4444 Ext. 4016 or after-hours pager (905) 830-3302
Email: jennifer.mitchellemmerson@york.ca

Contact: Christina Wieder <Christina.Wieder@york.ca>