Assembly Resolution No. 2166

BY: M. of A. Rules (Jackson)

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 5-11, 2024, as Drinking Water Week in the State of New York

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing official weeks established to increase awareness of serious environmental issues that affect the lives of all New Yorkers; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize those organizations which focus on improving drinking water quality in order to benefit the health of our citizens, while setting the highest level of environmental standards for the state and country; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 5-11, 2024, as Drinking Water Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Drinking Water Week; and

WHEREAS, For more than 40 years, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and its members have used Drinking Water Week as a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives; and

WHEREAS, Drinking water refers to the water that comes from our taps or bottled water; every day, people rely on safe drinking water for a variety of purposes, including handwashing, bathing, cooking, laundry, and drinking; and

WHEREAS, The United States of America produces some of the world's safest drinking water supplies, and the purity of New York City's drinking water is well-known; more than one billion gallons of fresh, clean water are transported daily from vast upstate reservoirs, some of which are more than 125 miles from the City, to the faucets of nine million customers across the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Controlling wastewater flows and restoring faulty septic systems near drinking water sources can dramatically reduce germs in our source water, which is a continuing concern; and

WHEREAS, One of the most significant public health successes of the 20th Century was the provision of safe drinking water; water treatment (methods to remove bacteria or chemicals that cause illness) has enabled millions of Americans to have access to healthy and safe water; and

WHEREAS, In October of 2020, water professional Paulla McCarthy purchased a water plant and an aquifer on 15 acres of land, thereby, becoming the first African American woman in New York State to own and operate a water bottling company; and

WHEREAS, Paulla McCarthy founded Youth Savings Society, a non-profit organization which manages the water bottling operation while striving to serve everyone with high-quality premium spring water while

simultaneously considering their carbon footprint and working ethically to safeguard the environment; and

WHEREAS, Youth Savings Society Waterworks sees itself as servants of water, caring for this finite natural resource and preserving its scarcity around the world; their spring water comes from an underground aquifer in a valley that produces approximately 86 million gallons of excellent spring water per year, supplying residents with clean 100 percent fresh spring water that has been naturally purified by nature; and

WHEREAS, Even though the United States has one of the world's safest drinking water supplies, we must raise awareness and continue to fight to protect our water sources; and

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize and applaud the efforts of those individuals and organizations which work tirelessly on behalf of protecting our natural surroundings for the benefit of present and future generations of New Yorkers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim May 5-11, 2024 as Drinking Water Week in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York, and to Paulla McCarthy, Founder, Youth Savings Society.