Value of Water Coalition Kicks-Off 'Imagine a Day Without Water' National Education Campaign

More than 100 Advocates, Elected Officials, Non-Profit Organizations, and Water Providers Join Forces to Raise Awareness about Water

Washington, DC – The Value of Water Coalition today announced that more than 100 organizations are joining the first annual Imagine a Day Without Water. From October 6-8, 2015, groups as diverse as aquariums, car washes, city councils, water and wastewater providers, schools, and libraries, are all raising awareness about our most essential resource: water.

In Washington, D.C., DC Water will unveil a major project to convert solid biowaste into power to run DC Water’s treatment plant. In Atlanta, Mayor Reed will host a tour of a former quarry which will soon be converted into a massive water reservoir. In Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti will visit a local school to talk about water conservation education. From Charlottesville, Virginia to Portland, Oregon, organizations will spread the message that our water systems are essential, at risk, and in need of investment.

“Water is essential to everything we do. From the water you need for your morning shower and coffee, to the water needed for agriculture and manufacturing, a day without water is impossible to imagine,” said Radhika Fox, Director of the Value of Water Coalition and CEO of the US Water Alliance. “That is why more than 100 groups are joining the effort. Through live events, tours of water treatment plants, educational outreach, and social media sharing, communities across the country are going to hear the message that clean, safe, reliable water service cannot be taken for granted.”

Many communities in the U.S. are built on top of water systems that are more than a century old. The media age of pipes in Washington, DC, for example, is 79 years. And as pipes and treatment plants come to the end of their lifespan, the need to invest in repairs, maintenance, upgrades and modernization is urgent and growing. The American Society of Civil Engineers graded America’s water infrastructure a “D” and estimated $4.8 trillion needs to be spent over the next 20 years to upgrade and modernize our water systems. Visit http://imagineadaywithoutwater.org/ for more information.