Imagine a Day Without Water, scheduled for October 23 this year, is an annual nationwide day of education and advocacy about the value of water. Imagine a Day Without Water is meant to encourage each of us to consider life without ready and easy access to safe drinking water and waste water systems.
Safe, reliable water access is a major foundation element in our public health, our economy, and our overall quality of life. Take a moment and think of all the activities you engage in on a daily basis which require water. Your morning coffee and shower…flushing toilets…preparing meals for your family…hydrating after a work-out…keeping a garden. You turn on the tap, and clean, fresh water flows out. You flush the toilet, and dirty water is whisked away.
Now picture your day without access to safe water infrastructure. Beyond your day, how would our community function? Our country? How would we fight fires? Keep hospitals sanitary? Grow crops or care for livestock? Run manufacturing plants? Operate restaurants, hotels, and countless local businesses? A single nationwide day without water service would put
$43.5 billion in economic activity at risk.
From the small daily tasks of an individual, to the very stability of our community, water is integral. Water infrastructure is so vital and yet it’s easily taken for granted, even forgotten about entirely.
Take some time this October 23 to reflect on water. Perhaps renew your family’s commitment to
water conservation, to help protect and sustain this precious resource. Maybe take a look at your
water quality report, so you’re better informed about your water systems. Consider the high value of safe water access, and the life-and-death importance of maintaining crucial infrastructure. Imagine a day without water, and then do all you can to ensure future access for generations to come.