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6 <br /> "Groundwater — Making the Invisible Visible" event to be held at Northgate Park in <br /> Durham on Saturday, March 26, 2022 from 1:00-4:00 pm. The event will include an <br /> American Indian Water Blessing, water quality exploration, activities for children, <br /> interpretive dance, a parade with Paperhand Puppets, Raging Grannies, the reading of <br /> Orange County's Proclamation, scientific explanations of groundwater, and more. <br /> Commissioner Greene read the following proclamation: <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> WORLD WATER DAY <br /> PROCLAMATION <br /> WHEREAS, the United Nations (UN) has declared March 22"d as World Water Day and has <br /> invited governments around the world to devote the Day to the promotion of public awareness <br /> of the importance of water and the sustainable management of water resources; and <br /> WHEREAS, the theme for World Water Day 2022 is "Groundwater - Making the Invisible <br /> Visible," highlighting that Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere, and <br /> though it may be out of sight, Groundwater must not be out of mind; and <br /> WHEREAS, the intended goal of World Water Day 2022 is to acknowledge groundwater as a <br /> hidden treasure that enriches our lives, that everyone needs to work together to sustainably <br /> manage this precious resource, and that exploring, protecting and sustainably using <br /> groundwater will be central to surviving and adapting to climate change and meeting the needs <br /> of a growing population; and <br /> WHEREAS, today, water around the world is under extreme threat from a growing population, <br /> increasing demands of agriculture and industry, and the worsening impacts of climate change; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, according to UN estimates, 2.2 billion people around the world are living without <br /> access to safe water; and <br /> WHEREAS, climate change is and will continue to strain the availability, quality, and quantity of <br /> water for the basic human needs of potentially billions of people; and <br /> WHEREAS, the UN Sustainable Development Goals provide the clear goal of providing safe <br /> water and sanitation for all people by 2030; and <br /> WHEREAS, the United States uses 82.3 billion gallons per day of groundwater for public <br /> supply, private supply, irrigation, livestock, manufacturing, mining, thermoelectric power, and <br /> other purposes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and 55% of the population of North <br /> Carolina depends on groundwater for drinking water; and <br /> WHEREAS, water use has a direct link to overall monthly housing affordability when <br /> considering that ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, <br /> according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and <br />