With accessible clean drinking water a hot global issue, the residents of Wenden can now confidently quench their thirst. For many years, residents of this small rural town hesitated to drink the water due to its high fluoride content and spikes in arsenic levels that required further drilling and a state mandated Fluoride and Arsenic Treatment Plant to be built. Even though most of levels of concern were from decades ago, people transitioned to drinking plastic bottled or commercial bulk water only.
With the completion of the nearly $1.8 million, Fluoride and Arsenic Removal Project (FAR), the town is celebrating by declaring “Plastic Bottle Free Zones”. The Wenden Domestic Water Improvement District will be donating reusable metal sport bottles to every student, teacher and staff of Wenden Elementary School to mark this accomplishment.
“This is a teachable moment and students need to learn that water does not come from plastic bottles, but from the ancient aquifer that lies below their feet,” stated De Vona J. Saiter, the Director of Public Relations and Community Development for Wenden Water District.
For years, students were given plastic bottles to drink from and dispose of daily and this has led to thousands of bottles filling the landfill from only one small school of approximately 120 people. This one act of change can make a significant and positive impact against the environmental detriment from the manufacturing and disposal of plastic bottles. This is an example for others to follow. The Wenden Domestic Water Improvement grounds, Wenden Elementary School Campus, Mas Paz Shop and La Paloma Gallery have been declared “plastic bottle free zones.” New metal reusable bottles are sold at these locations and some local residents are buying them in support to eliminating or limit any plastic disposable bottles.
Event:
On Jan. 10, 2019 the presentation of the new water bottles will be conducted at Wenden Elementary School. Water board members, school board members, residents and county representatives will be attending. As of Jan. 14, 2019, the entire campus will be a “plastic bottle free zone.”
*Original article online at https://www.parkerpioneer.net/news/article_0367fe5a-0f88-11e9-8587-c3be2b8ad1b2.html
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