WATCH: Why we do what we do.

Cleveland has amazing water resources.

And while they are so visible that they are easily taken for granted, there are also unseen resources that help make sure our lakes, rivers, and water quality are protected.

This moving #MyWaterLegacy video from the Water Environment Federation was shown at WEFTEC—a huge national water conference—this week, and we believe it showcases why we are so proud to serve our customers and our region.

What do you think?

RELATED LINKS:

• CAREERS: Our latest job openings and career resources
• QUICK CLIPS: See all our 2-minute-or-less videos about our water-quality work

HEALTH: How can drinking cause dehydration?

Why drinking responsibly means hydrating responsibly

Whether celebrating a holiday or the end of a work week, many people kick back a glass of their favorite beverage to toast the occasion. If that beverage is alcohol, we hope you drink responsibly, but with that comes responsible hydration.

Did you know alcohol dehydrates you? drinkaware UK explained that alcohol acts as a diuretic, acting on your kidneys to make you expel more liquid than you are consuming.

That's what increases your number of trips to the bathroom when consuming alcohol: Once you head to the bathroom to pass the liquid you just drank, you'll feel the urge to go again soon after because of the diuretic effect drawing additional liquid from your body. That can lead to dehydration and increase the likelihood of a rough day-after.

We're in the wastewater-treatment business, so we're prepared to handle as many trips to the bathroom as you need. But we do encourage keeping water in your drinking routine. It can reduce the impacts of alcohol on your system, and it's a healthier option overall. We'll even give you a fancy drink name to go along with that glass of tap if that helps.

Hydrate responsibly, celebrate responsibly, and flush responsibly.

Image credit Flickr Maya83 Creative Commons

GAME: The only #GOPdebate drinking (water) game you need

The best way to drink responsibly is to drink water, and lots of it.

So while Rolling Stone Magazine and many others have gotten attention for their #GOPdebate "drinking games" in advance of Cleveland's event tonight, we recommend the following: A drinking water game about water.

• When a candidate mentions Cleveland? Water.
• "Infrastructure" reference? Water.
• When you see a candidate sip from a water glass? Water.
• "Lake Erie" or a Great Lakes reference? Water.

Print your own sheet, turn on that kitchen tap, and stay hydrated while you play along. (And with the RNC coming to town next year, you might as well print extra copies.)

RELATED NEWS:

• #GOPdebate: 3 ways water could make a cameo appearance at the first Republican debate
• INFRASTRUCTURE: President Obama talks about infrastructure priorities at The City Club
• CONSTRUCTION: Public Square renovation, including stormwater management features, on schedule for completion before 2016 RNC

LOOK: What happens one hour after drinking one glass of tap water

The possible health effects of a can of soda have been blogged and tweeted about for a long time, most recently in an infographic that made its rounds this week.

How your body responds to a glass of tap water? Perhaps even more shocking.

View full size.

#CleanWater2015: Events, education highlight the region's year dedicated to clean water

Consider it a hydration celebration.

This year, Sustainable Cleveland 2019 celebrates the Year of Clean Water, a theme intended to elevate the conversation around clean and abundant freshwater as a regional asset.

The year will be marked with events, prizes, and educational opportunities for the entire family offered by many local partners including the Sewer District.

NEWS: Back to the beach, Memorial Day weekend means daily water tests resume to keep beachgoers safe

Local beaches will be active this summer, and not just with local swimmers.

Starting Memorial Day weekend, Sewer District water-quality investigators will be testing beach water every day to keep you informed if you're planning a day by the lake.

This week, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District resumed daily beach testing at Edgewater, Villa Angela and Euclid Beaches to determine water quality and bacteria levels throughout the summer. Daily testing will continue through September 6, 2014.

What affects water quality at local beaches

Many variables can impact the water quality of the beaches, including the presence of waterfowl at the beach, the influence of Lake Erie currents, the fate of pollutants, like raw sewage, discharged into local water bodies, and stormwater run-off, which can carry motor oil, garbage and other pollutants into local water bodies, too.

OLYMPICS: Wow. Journalists' tweets convey shock, reality of incomplete accommodations, infrastructure

People have asked me what surprised me the most here in Sochi. It's this. Without question ... it's ... THIS. pic.twitter.com/1jj05FNdCP
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 4, 2014

Journalists covering the Olympics are tweeting their experiences as they have arrived in Sochi this week. Two words: Not good.

Despite the enormous price tag of this Olympic games, some of the infrastructure-related tweets from journalists offer scenes of unfinished accommodations and utilities just two days from the Opening Ceremonies, and The Washington Post has plenty more.

We share them here not in jest, but as a reminder of the infrastructure resources that require proper planning, delivery and ongoing maintenance that we so easily take for granted.

HOME: Holiday stress? Why water lines burst the way they do.

Photo courtesy justclaire, flickr

If you've every experienced a frozen or burst water line at home (our condolences if you have), "inconvenient" doesn't begin to describe it. However, the word "interesting" might.

We came across a technical but very educational blog post by Nick Berry as featured on Popular Science answering the question, "Why do pipes burst the way they do?"

TECH: Drinking water out of thin air

Genius.

In a region where the annual rainfall is practically zero, but the atmospheric humidity is 98%, a university designed a billboard that draws potable water out of the air.

Here's more on the story. Very fitting as we prepare to celebrate World Water Day this Friday.

NEWS: More Americans are drinking water, but better to break the bottled habit

As New York's ban on sugary drinks is on hold, an AP story today reports Americans' latest bottled-drink love affair is with good ol' H2O.

Candice Choi's story in the Denver Post states Americans drink about 44 gallons of soda per year, compared to 58 gallons of water. Since 1998, consumption of bottled water has doubled to make up 21 gallons of that total.

We're all for a tall glass of the clear stuff, but we do encourage you to turn on the tap instead of turning to the twist-off top.