With yesterday being a rainy first day of spring, many of us likely paid no heed to today, March 22, being World Water Day. In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to promote a day in observance of the fact that more than a billion people worldwide still lack access to clean, safe drinking water.

Milwaukee is one of more than 40 cities nationwide who have an official Proclamation that today is World Water Day, and while I was unable to find any scheduled events here in celebration of this event, it was interesting to see what some other cities are doing in celebration of World Water Day, most notably, New York City, where restaurants will be charging $1 per glass of tap water in restaurants and donating the monies to UNICEF, one of the largest promoters of World Water Day.

This prompted the OMC staff to wonder if Milwaukeeans would be willing to pay a buck for our once crypto-infested aqua by the glass. These days many of our restaurants are offering alternatives to plain old tap water in the form of perriers or simply purified water, but I personally am happy with my glasses of tap water with just a slice of lemon.

However, I think many of us are more than willing to open our wallets for a good cause. Restaurateur Gina Marchese, of the newly opened Marchese's Olive Pit, said she could see her customers paying for a tap of H2O if they could choose the charity to which the dollar went.

"People are generous and conscientious these days," Marchese said, "I could see them paying for water if they knew it was a good cause and they were given options."

Regardless, as you drink our eight glasses today, remember how very lucky we are that we have access to clean and safe drinking water. It's one of those big things we too readily take for granted.