SAN JOSE – On Wednesday, Oct. 10, nearly 2 million residents and commuters in Santa Clara County will face a day without running water – hypothetically that is. That’s because Oct. 10 is “Imagine a Day Without Water.” The Santa Clara Valley Water District is joining hundreds of elected officials, water agencies, community leaders, educators, and businesses participating in the fourth commemoration of this annual event, which is a national day of education and advocacy about the value of water.
Led by the Value of Water Campaign, this day of awareness includes hundreds of events and projects to relay the crucial need for investing in our nation’s water infrastructure. Clean, safe water is essential to the nation’s health, safety, environment and economic prosperity. And the Santa Clara Valley Water District has no small task in providing, clean safe water to power Silicon Valley, a global technology hub.
On this day, the water district will be facilitating conversations in a variety of ways to paint a picture of the rippling consequences from lack of water. The objective: raising awareness of the critical need to maintain and upgrade our drinking and water systems and resources. The water district’s education outreach team will be presenting the classroom program, “Hidden Water.” The presentation is used to convey the amount of water required to produce food and goods, and is a great eye-opener for realizing how much water it takes to make anything in our nation. According to the U.S. Water Alliance, approximately 1,230 gallons of water are required to produce just one steak.
The water district will also be encouraging an online conversation with a social media campaign and short video, and sharing residents’ depictions of what such a day would be like. Additionally, the water district is working with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s office to issue a resolution recognizing the value of water. These efforts are aimed at driving an appreciation of our water resources and raise support for continuing to advocate for adequate funding and resources to address our aging infrastructure and efforts to ensure a safe and reliable water supply.
A fragile water system has perilous implications for the nation’s economy as well as for Silicon Valley. A single nationwide day without water service would put $43.5 billion of economic activity at risk. In just eight days, a national water service stoppage would put nearly two million jobs in jeopardy.
While many of these challenges are regionally specific and will require locally driven solutions, reinvestment in water must be a national priority. This year, Imagine a Day Without Water falls just weeks before the 2018 midterm elections. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 Senate seats, 36 gubernatorial races, and countless state legislature and local races are in play. As citizens go to the polls this fall to vote in the midterm elections, the next wave of lawmakers should make water a priority so no American has to live, or imagine, a day without water again.
The Value of Water Campaign educates and inspires the nation about how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment. Spearheaded by top leaders in the water industry, the Value of Water Campaign is building public and political will for investment in America's water infrastructure