National Water Week: Our Water Stories

National Water Week is here! This annual event is dedicated to building awareness of the value of water in Australia and is happening on 17-23 October 2022.  

This year's theme is 'Our Water Stories', and the AWA has partnered with the Federal Government for the first time to help elevate National Water Week's profile.

“’Our Water Stories’ invites everyone to think more deeply about our relationship with water. With water comprising three-quarters of our planet and two-thirds of our bodies, its essentiality in our lives cannot be overstated,” said Louise Dudley, AWA President. 

“With the AWA celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2022, ‘Our Water Stories; encourages reflection and sharing of these experiences and relationships.”  
 
To launch National Water Week, AWA hosted an event launch at Sydney Water in Parramatta, featuring: 

• Corinne Cheeseman, CEO, Australian Water Association (Chairperson and Speaker)  
• Veronica Murphy, Indigenous Inclusion Specialist at Sydney Water  
• Roch Cheroux. Sydney Water, Managing Director 
• Rachel Connell, Head of the Water Reform Taskforce in the Water Division for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)  
• Julia Cummins, 2022 winner of the Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize  

The speakers each told their water stories and highlighted the importance of National Water Week. 

There are several ways for Australians to get involved in National Water Week, including: 

1. Hosting or supporting an event: Individuals, schools, and organisations can go to the official website at www.nationalwaterweek.org to find details, including about hosting events. Organisations and individuals are encouraged to hold events around this year’s National Water Week theme, “Our Water Stories”, during and around the week in the month of October. These events can be hosted and promoted on the official National Water Week website. Community members are also encouraged to explore what events appeal to them and attend those of interest in their local area. 
   
   
2. Invite an Ambassador to your school: The National Water Week Ambassador program plays an important role in improving water literacy and raising awareness of careers in water management. As part of National Water Week, schools will be connected with Ambassadors to complement their water studies and increase students’ knowledge of this pivotal area. AWA is encouraging education leaders to source a National Water Week Ambassador to come and speak at their school. 
   
   
3. Share your own Water Story: Community members are encouraged to share their individual water stories on social media this year with our social media competition. We want to hear what water means to the general public in their daily life, community, and work. Tell your water story with the hashtags #National Water Week and #OurWaterStories to win a gift card worth $200. 

AWA is also excited about the support of the Australian Federal Government, who have come on board as a partner this year.   

Matthew Dadswell, Head of Division - Water from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, said National Water Week was an important opportunity to educate the Australian community about sharing and sustaining national water resources for communities, the environment and industries.   

“The Australian Government’s new partnership with the Australian Water Association to support National Water Week in 2022 helps us play a pivotal role in connecting government with industries and communities across the board to improve water literacy,“ said Mr Dadswell.  
 
“Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world,” said Dadswell. “Water plays a critical role in protecting our environment, supporting food production and industry as well as a source for health and wellbeing of Australians.  

“This is why it’s important we don’t take water for granted, why we need to do our best to ensure we can take care of this precious natural resource." 

Corinne Cheeseman, AWA’s Chief Executive, said, “’ Our Water Stories’ recognises the importance water plays in our lives. Water is life, and we can sometimes take it for granted; water is fundamental to our health and well-being and thriving communities, from drinking to cleaning with it to swimming in it.

“As AWA celebrates its 60th anniversary and reflects on our six decades of working with our members to manage extreme events such as droughts and floods, we continue to consider and adapt our stories to these challenges in the face of climate change and its increasing uncertainty.”