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Out & About with NTMWD Public Education & Outreach in January

February 1, 2023

2022 Holiday Grease Round-up Recap – NTMWD received 113 gallons of leftover cooking oil through the “Holiday Grease Roundup” program compared to 55 gallons last year and 56 gallons the year before that. The program helps to keep fats, oils, and grease out of home plumbing and our wastewater infrastructure as well as to transform the leftover cooking oil and grease into useful biofuel. This is in partnership with the North Central Texas Council Of Governments and the program is a part of their Defend Your Drains North Texas campaign. The roundup ran from November 14 to January 9 with 44 participating organizations hosting 71 drop-off locations, including the NTMWD drop-off station behind the Environmental Service Laboratory. Thank you if you recycled your used holiday grease.


We are all in the Water Business  – On January 19th, Galen Roberts, Assistant Deputy – Water Resources, and Helen Dulac, Public Education Manager, were the opening speakers at the Dallas Irrigation Association’s 2023 Expo in Plano, TX. They spoke about the future of water in Texas, Bois d’Arc Lake, and how conservation is a key water strategy on a local and state level.

The irrigators learned steps they can take to educate their clients on water conservation and drought response measures year-round. The attendance was over 550 and included professionals from the Metroplex, Lubbock, and Oklahoma.


Virtual Lunch and Learn Series – Public Education continues to build on the virtual Lunch & Learn series with a session in January and one in February. On January 20th, new homeowners learned how to enhance their landscape with water-saving native plants. On February 8th, you can discover the secrets to native clay soils by learning how to conduct a soil test. Spend Valentine’s Day learning how to develop a better relationship with your lawn. On February 14th, learn some quick basics on turf selection, weed prevention, and fertilization. To register for these classes and watch replays of past sessions visit /classes.


Virtual Water Treatment Plant Tour  – On  Wednesday, January 25th, environmental science students from Wylie East High School followed water from Lavon Lake through the treatment process on a behind-the-scenes virtual tour with Helen Dulac, Public Education Manager. The tour was recorded and shown to 140 students. The tour included live Q&A and Helen will follow up in writing or with another session to address questions from the other classes.


One Water Presentation – On Thursday, January 26, 88 second-grade students at Kimberlin Academy in Garland, TX learned about the One Water Cycle. Each student received a Water Spotter toolkit so they can teach their family how to save water at home. For several years, students from this school enter the Water, Texas film festival. Last year, a student won. See her winning short film, STOP WATER POLLUTION NOW by Adalynn Bartoch. NTMWD is a sponsor of this film festival from the Texas Water Foundation.


No Water Trivia Nights Coming Soon! Stay Tuned – World Water Day is March 22nd. North Texas Municipal Water District and the cities of Frisco and McKinney will celebrate the day with water trivia at Herman Marshall Whiskey in downtown Wylie from 7-9 PM. Herman Marshall Whiskey plans to release a special cocktail to mark the occasion. Come with your coworkers or bring your friends and family to play for fun prizes. You can participate in a team of up to 5 people or as an individual. Pre-registration is not required. Teams and individuals play on their cell phones and battle it out in categories such as Water Around the World and Poop Culture. Winners receive cool t-shirts and other fun prizes.