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Water and Sanitation

Imagining an Entire Day Without Water: What We Take for Granted

Photo: Courtesy of mrjn Photography

Most Americans take water for granted. They turn on the tap, and clean water flows out; flush the toilet, and dirty water goes away. Most Americans hardly think about the infrastructure systems that brings water to homes, and safely returns water to the environment – but everyone should. 

The reality is, the nation’s water infrastructure is aging and failing. Somewhere in America, a water main breaks every two minutes. While most Americans cannot imagine a day without water, there are many communities that have lived – and are living – without access to clean, safe water because they lack reliable water systems. The longer we wait to fix our water infrastructure to meet today’s demands and tomorrow’s challenges, the more likely it is that additional Americans will experience the crisis of going a day without water.  

On October 10, 2018, hundreds of organizations and thousands of people that care about water will come together for Imagine a Day Without Water, a national day of action dedicated to raising awareness about the value of water and the need to invest in our water and wastewater infrastructure.  

Sign up at imagineadaywithoutwater.org to get involved, or follow the conversation on social media at #ValueWater. We can all be a part of the conversation, and together push our communities and nation’s leadership to invest in our water systems, so no American ever has to go a day without water. 

Radhika Fox, Director, The Value of Water Campaign, [email protected]

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