Bend residents asked: Know where your water comes from?

Do know where your water comes from?

That was the question city of Bend officials posed to the public during Saturday’s Fall Festival in downtown Bend.

They city held a water demonstration booth, where people could grab a drink of water from taps hooked right up to a fire hydrant on the street.

About 400 people filled out a city survey testing their knowledge of their water, as well as answering questions about what they use water for.

Participants were then treated to a nice cold glass of city water, and prizes of ‘Bend’ hats and pint glasses.

City Engineer Heidi Lansdowne said it was the city’s first attempt at the water demonstration.

A large board surrounding the taps showed a layout of the city, including maps of the city’s two sources of water: underground water from the Deschutes aquifer and surface water from Bridge Creek, a tributary of Tumalo Creek.

Lansdowne said the demonstration was a fun way to get more people thinking about water, as well as a good incentive for people to chose the tap over bottled water.

“A lot of people don’t really know where their water comes from, but they want to know, so we’ve been having lots of good conversations,” Lansdowne said.

The Fall Festival continues on Sunday, and the city will be there again with more water and prizes.