For many Americans, living a day without water is an unfortunate reality—not something to be imagined.
Imagine a Day Without Water is a national day of action bringing together communities and policymakers to advance greater and more equitable water investment.
You may notice something a little different about this year’s call to action. The ask is to stand with those who don’t have to imagine a day without water because they live without it today.
In 2019, the US Water Alliance and DigDeep identified that there are two million individuals who experience lack of access to adequate drinking water and sanitation. Black, Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous, and low-income communities are more likely to experience this lack of water and sanitation than are white or affluent communities.
So far in 2022, we have seen dozens of communities—from West Virginia to Mississippi to New Mexico—experience devastating impacts to their water due to ice storms, heavy rains, flooding, drought, and failing infrastructure. Others experience a day or many days without water due to their inability to pay their water bills.
When a community experiences water contamination or shortages, they have no water to drink, prepare meals, bathe their children, wash their hands, flush the toilet, or do laundry. Firefighters can’t put out fires, and farmers cannot water their crops. Hospitals would close without water.
The Imagine A Day Without Water day of action embodies the pillars of One Water: water equity, water affordability, and sustainable, integrated water management.
This is our chance to show through events, resolutions, student contests, social media engagement, and more how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of more investment by us all. Please join in!