
Event Series:
World Water Day
World Water Day
March 22, 2026
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Local Connection
In DuPage County, most of us get our water from the Great Lakes which hold 20% of the world’s fresh surface water (that measly 0.01%!). We are incredibly fortunate to have such a great resource feeding our taps. After we use that water, it is cleaned and sent down river to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Not a drop goes back to Lake Michigan! When the water empties into the Gulf of Mexico it can contribute to an annual “dead zone“. There are tons of ways to help reduce your impact on water resources. Conserve water by finding and fixing toilet leaks and turning the faucet off when brushing your teeth. Prevent pollution by picking up litter, reducing water use during heavy rainstorms, and not dumping anything down storm drains, where water goes directly to a local stream (and is not treated). Be a water advocate in your community by taking part in our storm drain medallion project.History
World Water Day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly and first celebrated in 1993. Check out past themes here.Teacher Resources

- The US Geological Survey Water Science School portal
- National Geographic’s Freshwater Teacher Guide
- WaterRocks has fun educational music videos
- SCARCE’s Living Waters Youtube Playlist
- SCARCE’s Watershed Model program is a fun, hands-on in way to learn about how humans impact water. SCARCE does teachers trainings as well as classroom programming on the watershed.
- Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia: US EPA & for Educators
Other Resources & Local Water Groups
The Great Lakes Water Wars – essential reading for anyone living in the Great Lakes region.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes