Imagine A Day Without Water 2018
This morning most of us woke up, showered, brushed our teeth, and drank a cup of coffee. Throughout the day we all drank a few glasses of water and some of us might do a load of laundry before cooking dinner tonight. All of these tasks are things most of us take for granted. We expect water to come out of the tap the second we turn the faucet on and we expect dirty water to go down the drain and disappear, but the reality is, our water infrastructure is struggling. ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card found that our country’s drinking water systems earned a “D” and our wastewater systems earned a “D+.” We can hardly imagine a day without access to safe and reliable water systems, yet our water infrastructure network is rated as poor. Without clean water, our health, safety, economy, and environment is at risk.
Americans across the nation know the importance of dependable and up-to-date drinking and wastewater infrastructure systems. In fact, data shows 88% of Americans, in all parties and regions, support increasing federal investment to maintain and rebuild water infrastructure. Today, the federal government honored the wants and needs of the American people with the Senate’s passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a bill that authorizes programs and projects designed to improve water infrastructure systems – including our drinking and wastewater networks – throughout the country.
Today, October 10, is the fourth annual “Imagine a Day Without Water,” a national day of action to raise awareness about the value of water. From “value of water” themed coffee stands to coloring contests to beach and river cleanups, organizations across the country are participating by educating decision makers and the public and advocating for reinvestment in our water infrastructure systems.
ASCE is a proud advocate of infrastructure investment and participant in “Imagine a Day Without Water.” Join the Value of Water and ASCE in the ongoing conversation about investing in our drinking water and wastewater infrastructure networks.
