Orange County NC Website
6 <br /> 1 Commissioner Greene read the following proclamation: <br /> 2 <br /> 3 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 4 <br /> 5 WORLD WATER DAY <br /> 6 PROCLAMATION <br /> 7 <br /> 8 WHEREAS, the United Nations (UN) has declared March 22nd as World Water Day and has <br /> 9 invited governments around the world to devote the Day to the promotion of public awareness of <br /> 10 the importance of water and the sustainable management of water resources; and <br /> 11 <br /> 12 WHEREAS, the theme for World Water Day 2022 is "Groundwater - Making the Invisible <br /> 13 Visible," highlighting that Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere, and <br /> 14 though it may be out of sight, Groundwater must not be out of mind; and <br /> 15 <br /> 16 WHEREAS, the intended goal of World Water Day 2022 is to acknowledge groundwater as a <br /> 17 hidden treasure that enriches our lives, that everyone needs to work together to sustainably <br /> 18 manage this precious resource, and that exploring, protecting and sustainably using <br /> 19 groundwater will be central to surviving and adapting to climate change and meeting the needs <br /> 20 of a growing population; and <br /> 21 <br /> 22 WHEREAS, today, water around the world is under extreme threat from a growing population, <br /> 23 increasing demands of agriculture and industry, and the worsening impacts of climate change; <br /> 24 and <br /> 25 <br /> 26 WHEREAS, according to UN estimates, 2.2 billion people around the world are living without <br /> 27 access to safe water; and <br /> 28 <br /> 29 WHEREAS, climate change is and will continue to strain the availability, quality, and quantity of <br /> 30 water for the basic human needs of potentially billions of people; and <br /> 31 <br /> 32 WHEREAS, the UN Sustainable Development Goals provide the clear goal of providing safe <br /> 33 water and sanitation for all people by 2030; and <br /> 34 <br /> 35 WHEREAS, the United States uses 82.3 billion gallons per day of groundwater for public <br /> 36 supply, private supply, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, thermoelectric power, and <br /> 37 other purposes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and 55% of the population of North <br /> 38 Carolina depends on groundwater for drinking water; and <br /> 39 <br /> 40 WHEREAS, water use has a direct link to overall monthly housing affordability when <br /> 41 considering that ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, <br /> 42 according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and <br /> 43 <br /> 44 WHEREAS, Orange County recognizes that water and sanitation measures are key to poverty <br /> 45 reduction, economic growth, and environmental sustainability; and <br /> 46 <br /> 47 WHEREAS, people around the world and in Orange County value water for its cultural, religious <br /> 48 and spiritual meanings; and <br /> 49 <br /> 50 WHEREAS, Orange County serves as the headwaters for three of the major NC river systems — <br /> 51 the Cape Fear, the Neuse and the Roanoke; and <br />