Local and regional officials will gather Thursday morning at Jeffers Bend Environmental Center to mark National Drinking Water Week with a proclamation recognizing the importance of clean, reliable drinking water across the Pennyrile region.
The proclamation ceremony is scheduled for 8:45 Thursday morning and officials will formally proclaim Water Week in the City of Hopkinsville, Christian County and the nine-county Pennyrile Area ahead of a field day event for 90 fourth-grade students from Freedom Elementary School.
Those expected to take part in reading the proclamation include Hopkinsville Mayor James R. Knight Jr., Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam, Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority President and CEO Melissa Spurr, Pennyrile Area Development District Executive Director Jason Vincent and Pennyrile RC&D Area Council Treasurer Mark Cansler.
Following the proclamation, Freedom Elementary students will take part in field day activities focused on water and environmental education.
Additional Water Week programming is also planned for Tuesday, May 5, when Jeffers Bend will host 87 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from University Heights Academy for presentations on soil conservation, watersheds and water management.
National Drinking Water Week is observed May 3 through May 9 in 2026 and is coordinated by the American Water Works Association, which says the annual observance has been used for more than 40 years to highlight the role safe drinking water plays in daily life and to recognize the work of water professionals.
The event’s connection to Jeffers Bend reflects the site’s long-standing role as an outdoor classroom and environmental education center in Hopkinsville and was established in memory of former Hopkinsville Mayor Sherry Jeffers and has developed into a regional destination for nature programs, conservation education and family events.
