For Immediate Release – May 6, 2008

AUSTIN — The Austin Water Utility (AWU) is celebrating National Drinking Water Week with its 9th Annual Water Science Expo this week. The two-day Water Science Expo will take place at the Travis County Exposition and Heritage Center from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, May 8th and 9th. The expo center is located at 7311 Decker Lane in East Austin.

More than 800 Austin area fifth- and sixth-grade students will take a field trip to get hands-on experience and learn real-world applications of water treatment, conservation and reclamation. These students have been learning about water throughout the 2007-2008 school year with ‘Down the Drain’ and ‘Water in Your World’ classroom materials - developed, produced and provided by AWU. AWU employees will volunteer to help staff the educational expo.

A safe, reliable water supply is critical to the success of any community. It creates jobs, attracts industry and investment, and provides for the health and welfare of citizens in ways ranging from disease prevention to fire suppression. For more than 30 years, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week – a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives. AWU has hosted an annual water education event during Drinking Water Week for more than 18 years now.

Established in 1881, AWWA is the oldest and largest nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to safe water in North America. AWWA has more than 60,000 members worldwide and its 4,600 utility members serve 80 percent of the U.S. population.

The Austin Water Utility, an AWWA utility member, serves more than 850,000 residential and commercial customers and draws from the Colorado River into three water treatment plants that have a rated combined maximum capacity of 310 million gallons per day and a storage capacity of 167 million gallons. AWU goes above and beyond the Environmental Protection Agency’s protocols for safe drinking water, and it supplies some of the nation’s cleanest and best tasting water. AWU was recently ranked #2 in the nation for having the cleanest tap water according to a study by Forbes.com. Please visit our website at www.ci.austin.tx.us/water for more information.

Media Contact:
Sarah Fusco, Public Affairs Office
Email to: Sarah.Fusco@ci.austin.tx.us
City of Austin Water Utility
(512) 972-0150; pgr.(512) 802-8956