Today, the Value of Water Campaign is proud to put on the fifth annual Imagine a Day Without Water. A thousand participating organizations have come together today to highlight how water is essential, invaluable, and in dire need of investment. Education and engagement through op-eds, trivia games, artwork contests, in-person events and more will help communicate the value of water to people who usually take water for granted.Despite being our most precious resource, it is easy to forget what goes into making water come out when someone turns on the tap. Or how much work it takes to process and safely return water to the environment after someone flushes a toilet. But the reality is that America’s water infrastructure is aging and failing.
Today, across the country, there are still communities that have never had access to infrastructure in the first place and there are people living in the aftermath of natural disasters that upended their water infrastructure. Geography may dictate whether water challenges come in the form of droughts or foods, algae blooms, or pollution, but there is a common thread: everyone’s future depends on access to clean water.
On Imagine a Day Without Water, we ask people to consider how one day without water would affect our lives. It would be a public health and safety crisis and economic disaster. A single nationwide day without water service would put $43.5 billion in economic activity at risk. Firefighters couldn’t do their jobs. Hospitals would be unsanitary. People couldn’t wash dirty dishes, clothing, or themselves. Imagining a day without water is realizing that water infrastructure is the lifelines of our communities.
The difference between imagining and experiencing a day without water comes down to strong leadership. Polling continues to show, by wide margins, that Americans want our federal government to invest in our water infrastructure. With strong leadership, that will to invest can finally be realized. We can help secure a better future for the millions of Americans who don’t have reliable water service today, and ensure a reliable water future for generations to come.
The Value of Water Campaign has held Imagine a Day Without Water for the last five years, and we are blown away by the enthusiasm and creativity of the more than 1,000 groups participating this year. From botanical gardens to breweries, city halls and utilities, we’re seeing interest from all kinds of groups all over the country. Let’s keep the conversation going – use hashtag #ValueWater and let everyone know what you’re doing to get the word out about our most precious resource: water!
