Leaders and organizations across the country are drawing attention to water’s role in our everyday lives.
Congress has not yet approved Fiscal Year 2026 funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which represent a significant federal investment in our nation’s drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure. The Senate appropriations bill maintains current spending levels for the Funds, while the current House version proposes cutting the Funds by $664 million, or 24%. At the same time, local water providers are facing a more than $1.6 billion backlog in basic repairs and maintenance to bring water infrastructure into a state of good repair, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 Report Card on America’s Infrastructure.
What One Day Without Water Really Costs
Most Americans never think about where their water comes from, what it takes to get there, or what happens to it when it goes down the drain — at least, not until something goes wrong. That’s why, every year, the Value of Water Campaign hosts Imagine a Day Without Water.
And, it’s today! Diverse leaders and organizations across the country are taking action to draw attention to water’s role in our everyday lives, raise awareness about what’s at stake as the nation’s infrastructure ages, and build the public and political will to invest in our critical water and wastewater systems.
Every community relies on safe, reliable water service to power daily life, protect public health, and sustain our economy. However, as systems age, the costs of inaction continue to mount.
In honor of Imagine a Day Without Water, the Value of Water Campaign is releasing early findings from its upcoming national economic research, highlighting the staggering impacts the nation would face if even a single day passed without water.
Just one day without water nationally would mean:
- Over $121 billion in losses to the U.S. economy.
- 526,996 jobs placed at risk.
- $39.2 billion in lost wages.
- A $69 billion hit to GDP — a 10% reduction in typical annual U.S. economic growth.
- 40% daily losses in economic output for heavily water-dependent industries.
To put this into perspective on a personal scale:
- For the average household, a 24-hour water outage is like flushing $209 down the drain.
- For the 325 million people served by water utilities, a nationwide disruption adds up to over $27.2 billion in household-level impacts per day.
Industries that rely heavily on water would be severely impacted as well. If the U.S. wants to lead the world in artificial intelligence, it must also lead in modernizing water infrastructure. Data centers that power AI are massive water users, and even a single day without service could mean losses of up to 20% in economic output, nearly $2 billion, for this sector. For other industries that rely heavily on water, they would experience 40% in lost output daily, translating to billions of dollars across industries, reaching as high as $13 billion in losses to the healthcare industry alone.
These findings offer just a glimpse into the robust analysis to be released in the coming weeks by the Value of Water Campaign, equipping leaders with fresh and novel insights into how water investment secures our economy and future.
Communities Unite for Imagine a Day Without Water
Today, thousands of communities, businesses, schools, and advocates across the country are joining Imagine a Day Without Water. Together, we are sending a clear message: Water powers every aspect of life and securing it must be a national priority.
Organizations are marking the day in diverse and creative ways:
- Proclamations and recognition from mayors and governors.
- Community events, school activities, and utility tours that connect residents with the value of water.
- Social media campaigns and student art contests that bring the message to life in cultural and emotional ways.
Whether participants are utilities, coffee shops, classrooms, or chambers of commerce, the day is about making the connection to water personal — and building the will to invest in solutions.
Why This Matters Now
This is especially important as conversations about the future of federal investment in water infrastructure take place in Washington, DC. Without a funding deal in place to end the government shutdown, appropriations levels for critical water infrastructure funding programs across multiple agencies remain in doubt. Soon, the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee will be marking up a bill to reauthorize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs last reauthorized by the IIJA in 2021. Together these represent the short- and long-term future of federal investment in water.
How You Can Take Action Today
Water is a key ingredient in every business and every facet of life. Join us in raising awareness. You can amplify today’s momentum:
- Remind your representatives: Urge Congress to support strong water funding. You can connect with your representatives now by calling the U.S. Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
- Join the conversation: Post using our social media toolkit and the hashtag #ImagineADayWithoutWater2025. Top voices will be featured as “Imagine A Day Champions” with giveaways!
- Engage your community: Print and display signs, posters, and activity sheets in your offices, businesses, schools, and community centers. Share your own water connections and help spark connections.
A Note of Thanks
Imagine a Day Without Water and the forthcoming groundbreaking economic research are made possible by the Value of Water Campaign Steering Committee, along with dozens of partners and funders across the water, business, labor, and philanthropic sectors. Their leadership and collaboration ensure that, together, we can secure America’s water future.
This blog was originally posted on United for Infrastructure’s Newsletter.
