Need Proof that Water Grows KY? Check out the Sticky Notes!

A tall, rectangular board at Louisville Water’s booth during the Kentucky Rural Water’s Annual Conference caught the attention of attendees. On the board was this prompt: Tell us how water grows Kentucky. The goal was to get attendees, most of them water providers from small Kentucky towns, to think about how their work connects to the community’s economy.

It didn’t take long for colorful sticky notes to fill the board, each with an example of a large water customer, a unique user of a town’s water, or a value of a reliable and high-quality water system. Kellogg Company makes Pop-Tarts in Kimper; Aison manufactures engine parts in London; Marzetti makes salad dressing in Horse Cave; Cedar Point Farms is known for their strawberries; lots of cities can claim bourbon and craft beer, and every town can credit public health to water.

Water Grows KY is an initiative created by Louisville Water to highlight water’s value to Kentucky’s economy. “So often water and the systems that produce drinking water and handle waste are taken for granted,” said Kelley Dearing Smith, Louisville Water’s Vice President of Communications and Marketing.

“Water Grows KY changes that perception. Water is the anchor for every town’s economic vibrancy. I love watching people make that connection.”

Kentucky has made a name for itself with bourbon production. But the state is also known for manufacturing, aerospace, food and beverage, agriculture, and logistics. Water plays a direct role in each of these sectors and for many at the Rural Water Conference, they’d never thought about that connection in terms of economic value. When one attendee listed their town’s biggest water user, he said, “Our town would be lost without this employer – they’re not only our top customer, they’re the county’s largest employer.”

There are 435 public water systems in Kentucky, and each plays a role in growing Kentucky.