JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MAY 7, 2025 – Governor Mike Kehoe has proclaimed May 4 through May 10 as Drinking Water Week in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources expresses its appreciation for the water professionals who work to provide safe drinking water to residents and visitors of Missouri.
To celebrate Drinking Water Week, May 4-10, the department and American Water Works Association Missouri Section co-sponsored a poster contest for fifth grade students across the state. Following this year’s theme of “Protect the Source!,” more than 800 contestants used their artistic skills to communicate how tap water is essential to our daily lives.
This year’s winners were:
- First Place: Rowan Geronimo, Siegrist Elementary School, Teacher – Mrs. McCarthy
- Second Place: Kaitlyn Mercer, Pleasant Hill Intermediate School, Teacher – Mrs. Glazner
- Third Place: Aadhya Mamidi, McKelvey Elementary School, Teacher – Ms. Laux
Rowan will receive $300 for first place, Kaitlyn will receive $200 for second place and Aadhya will receive $100 for third place.
Drinking Water Week is celebrated nationwide during the first full week in May each year. Designed to make people more aware of tap water’s benefits, Drinking Water Week is an opportunity to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives. A safe, reliable water supply is critical to any community’s success. It creates jobs, attracts industry and investment, and provides for the public’s health and welfare in a variety of ways, from disease prevention to fire suppression.
The proclamation is posted online at dnr.mo.gov/document-search/governors-proclamation-drinking-water-week-2025. For more information on drinking water in Missouri, visit dnr.mo.gov/water/get-involved/drinking-water-week or call the Department of Natural Resources’ Public Drinking Water Branch at 573-751-5331.