A few days after Thanksgiving, Great Bend residents got a reminder of how much we have to be thankful for that we take for granted every day. A chain of events left the city without water for about 40 minutes Monday evening and after that we were placed on a boil water advisory that was still in effect until Thursday morning.

Boiling water before making a cup of coffee at home was inconvenient, but many of us had access to bottled water. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re thankful that we live in a community where safe drinking water is usually available straight from the tap and that bottles of clean water are abundant. We’re thankful to be affluent enough to buy that water, though that is surely a luxury not everyone can afford.

Our grandparents had to dig wells for their water and the pioneers sometimes walked many miles and carried water from lakes and rivers. They could boil the water over a fire but probably didn’t; building a fire was also more difficult in the past. The marvels of modern gas and electric appliances are also something to be thankful for.

Worldwide, it’s reported that clean water can be scarce in some locations. World Vision reports:

• 703 million people (1 in 10 people on the planet) lack access to clean water.

• Women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours carrying water every day, walking about 3.7 miles daily to haul 40 pounds of water.

• More than 1,000 children under 5 die every day from diseases related to the lack of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) claims 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water and 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year.

Whatever numbers we rely on, this statement from the WWF rings true: “Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater – the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with – is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.”

Water will only become more precious in the future. Meanwhile, according to the City of Great Bend website, the City of Great Bend Water Division serves the community by providing safe and clean quality water delivered to your home or business. This site also informs us that:

• The city obtains its water from a groundwater supply through deep wells. The 10 wells that supply our water are inside the city limits except for two wells located at the Municipal Airport/Industrial Park.

• Water from these wells is pumped directly into our distribution system where chlorine is injected for disinfection. Great Bend is one of the few cities in Central Kansas that does not have a water treatment plant or water tower.  

• On average the city’s wells pump 600 to 700 million gallons of water a year.

The Water Division serves under the Utilities Division as part of the Department of Public Works. When fully staffed the Water Division has 6 full-time employees and 2 full-time meter readers.

In the event of a water-related emergency, residents may call 620-793-4100. If after hours leave a message. There is someone on call 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week to respond.

Once again, we’re thankful for our water system and the dedicated people who keep it going.