How do you value water?
That was the question addressed by more than 600 students in 15 counties through an annual essay contest sponsored by the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. This year’s winner in Henry County is McDonough Middle School student Dedrick Cooper, who was recognized recently by the Henry County Water Authority.
Accompanied by his mother, Tirana Crawford, the young man read his essay at the HCWA’s January board meeting. It was titled: “WhaTER a Dream.” Contest judges deemed it “exemplary,” according to HCWA officials, and the board presented him with a $100 gift card. He was also recognized with the county winners at the State Capitol in December.
McDonough Middle School student, Dedrick Cooper, won the annual essay contest sponsored by the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. Special photo
“This essay contest provides us with an opportunity to encourage our students to become more involved in water conservation efforts locally, while educating them on the importance of valuing our local water resources,” said Lindsey Sanders HCWA environmental compliance coordinator. “We were happy to recognize Dedrick for his creativity in writing about how valuable water is to everyday life.”
His essay included several interesting facts gathered through his own research. Some notable points he made in his paper included:
- 19 gallons of water are required to grow one apple.
- 1,230 gallons of water are needed to produce one beef steak.
- 2.110 gallons of water are necessary to produce one pair of shoes.
- 40,000 gallons of water go into manufacturing one car.
- And Americans use, on average, 64,240 gallons of water during the year.
“We work closely with the Metro Water District to protect water quality and water resources throughout the region,” said HCWA general manager Lindy Farmer. “Events like the essay contest help us educate the public about these very important issues.”
The goal of the contest is “to challenge students to think critically about the region’s water resources, while raising awareness of the importance of conservation and preservation of water quality in metro Atlanta,” according to officials. It is one of many educational outreach initiatives conducted by the Metro Water District to raise awareness about the region’s conservation efforts and the importance of the preservation of water quality in metro Atlanta.
