Students from William Shakespeare High School in Romania participate in an event sponsored by Smithfield Ferme.

Smithfield Ferme helped Timis County schoolchildren sample water in Bega River.

Students from Monmouth, IL collect samples from Markham Creek in an event sponsored by Farmland – Monmouth.

Students from Tar Heel Middle School participate in a WWMD event sponsored by Smithfield Packing Company – Tar Heel.

Students participate in a WWMD event in Poland sponsored by Animex.

Students participate in a WWMD event in Poland sponsored by AgriPlus.

As a long time sponsor and participant in World Water Monitoring Day, Smithfield Foods and its subsidiary companies were well represented once again for 2008. As in previous years, company representatives partnered with local schools, youth organizations, and local government officials to learn more about water quality and the factors that influence it. Employees from 31 facilities in 4 different countries worked with nearly 400 volunteers to collect and analyze water samples from local water bodies.

These sampling events stretched from Timisoara, Romania to Hermosillo, Mexico, with 20 different sampling events in 14 states in the US. Some of the water bodies included the Wisloka River in Poland; Big Swamp in Tar Heel, North Carolina; Lake Sidney Lanier near Cumming, Georgia; Markham Creek near Monmouth, Illinois; and the Little Sandy River in Grayson, Kentucky. 

Along with company personnel, participants included groups like the Dallam Wolves 4-H Club, South Lenoir High School’s AP Environmental Science and Animal Science classes, 6th graders from Tar Heel Middle School, and students from ‘William Shakespeare’ High School in Romania.

WWMD continues to provide an excellent opportunity for us to interact locally while helping the communities where operate to think globally about water quality and usage.
Thanks to everyone for their support of this important program.

About World Water Monitoring Day

Smithfield Foods understands that water is one of the world's most precious resources. Therefore, we feel it's important to help protect it. Our sponsorship of annual events such as World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is just one example of our commitment.

WWMD is as an outreach program coordinated by the Water Environment Federation and the International Water Association, which builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. WWMD is celebrated annually between September 18-October 18, when people around the globe are encouraged to take water samples from local lakes, rivers and streams. An easy-to-use test kit enables anyone to sample for a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Results are shared with participating communities around the globe through the WWMD Web site.

This year we have joined Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other officials at Hains Point in Washington, D.C., where four schools conducted hands-on testing of the Potomac River. Smithfield Foods has been a corporate sponsor of WWMD since 2003, providing financial support and promoting employee involvement in the event. Our IOCs abroad have also participated, including in Romania, where Smithfield Ferme helped Timis County schoolchildren sample water in Bega River.