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Yadkin Riverkeeper and Wake Forest University’s Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability will host a public forum – THINK OUTSIDE THE SINK – on World Water Day to discuss pollution threats to the Yadkin River—the regions drinking water supply.

This first forum will be held on March 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Kulynych Auditorium, Byrum Center at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. Additional forums will be announced later this year.

THINK OUTSIDE THE SINK is designed to inform citizens about new rules and regulations the state is currently developing that will improve water quality in the Yadkin River and require cooperation from municipalities and industries in the Yadkin River basin. The North Carolina’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality (DWQ), has been mandated to develop a comprehensive Nutrient Management Strategy (NMS) to address pollution sources impacting water quality to help improve the conditions of the river, including High Rock Lake. More than 500,000 in the Triad region depend on the Yadkin River for drinking water. Citizen participation in the stakeholder process is vitally important for developing an effective plan for improving water quality.

THINK OUTSIDE THE SINK is the first in a series of seven forums that will be held during the coming year with underwriting provided by a $25,000 grant from Wells Fargo-National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The grant is part of a new program aimed at awarding $15 million over the next five years to nonprofits focused on sustainable agriculture and forestry, land conservation and water resources, habitat and urban ecosystem restoration, green infrastructure, and environmental education.

World Water Day has been observed on the 22nd of March since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared the day as a time to focus public attention on the critical water issues of our era. In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154). During the Water Cooperation 2013 Campaign, efforts around the world at local, national and international levels will help to raise awareness on the potential and challenges for water cooperation and promote innovative solutions for nurturing water cooperation.