This month many of us will gather with friends and family and give thanks for the things that we are thankful for – our family, friends, a roof over our heads or the wonderful meals before us. But one of the most important things that many of us are grateful for is often overlooked and never mentioned at Thanksgiving dinner…water. It is something that is a part of everyone’s daily lives and is often taken for granted. For most people in the US, we don’t have to worry whether the water we get from the tap is clean or where the water goes when we flush our toilet.

Water is the core of all the things that we are thankful for daily. It allows us to cook our food, keeps our bodies nourished, keeps our environment clean. The list of reasons to be thankful for water can go on and on but at its core, water is essential for life and something that I know I am very grateful for. I personally have been fortunate enough to work in water quality for my professional career and had the privilege of working with many great people who dedicated their lives to providing our communities with clean water. From the treatment of wastewater to the distribution of safe drinking water, we have a great community that keeps water flowing through our daily lives.

As we gather this Thanksgiving let us be reminded of the things that are sometimes overlooked in our daily lives such as clean water and the people who put in the hard work to provide us this resource. Water is the core of life, and it is important that we continue to make improvements to water infrastructure and work on providing safe water to those communities who may not have access to clean water as many of us do.

Michael Hendricks is a Water Quality Senior Technician for Denver Water