Water Week at Western is drying up.

The annual three-day event hosted by EnviroWestern ends Friday.  Volunteers have been in the University Community Centre educating students about responsible water conservation through displays, games, and guest speakers.

“The ultimate goal is to ultimately reach out to students and just get them thinking about the different aspects of water,”  said Mackenzie Coombe, Water Week coordinator for EnviroWestern.

The focus for Water Week’s final day is on the global impact of water.  Students can participate in a water trek which mimics the experience of  families in developing that have to carry their water far distances.

“We’re really lucky to have the kind of water infrastructure that we do here,” Coombe said.

Engineers Without Borders will also be on hand to answer questions from Western students about the group’s initiatives in relation to water. Engineers Without Borders speaks to elementary and high schools about the importance of water sanitation and conservation as part of their education and advocacy programs.

“Hopefully we can spread the word about different issues surrounding water, both here and internationally,” said
Julia Bevacqua, director of youth engagement for Engineers Without Borders.

An awareness of water use on campus and in London is one of the main goals of Western Water Week.  Bevacqua said she wants people to acknowledge the scarcity of water.

“I think people kind of take it for granted,” she said.

While access to clean water is a global issue, Coombe says she hopes Water Week has people thinking about changes they can make right here in London as the event wraps up for this year.

For students, it can start with something as easy as switching their water bottle.

“The end goal is for Western to be water bottle free,” said Coombe.  “I feel like a lot of students don’t necessarily know what the impacts are of their little everyday actions.”