Effort to raise awareness about the value of water and water infrastructure
As the Frankfort Plant Board is in the midst of replacing its 130-year-old water reservoir, it is joining hundreds of organizations across the country to observe Imagine a Day Without Water, a nationwide day of education and advocacy about the value of water. Led by the Value of Water Campaign, the campaign aims to raise awareness about the crucial need for investment in our nation’s water infrastructure to ensure that no American community is left without safe and reliable water.
“Investment in our drinking water system is essential to our national health, safety and economic prosperity, said David Billings, FPB Chief Water Engineer. “Here in Frankfort, it is our priority to make needed investments to maintain a high-quality system that is safe and affordable for our community.”
“We're thrilled that the Frankfort Plant Board is a part of Imagine a Day Without Water. This national day of action educates our neighbors and public officials about the essential role water plays in all of our lives, and the threat that aging and underfunded water infrastructure poses to our communities and economy” said Radhika Fox, CEO of the US Water Alliance and Director of the Value of Water Campaign. “It is easy to take our water infrastructure for granted because it is often underground and out of sight. But, the systems that deliver water to and from our homes and businesses require reinvestment and upkeep just like roads and bridges. It is time to take action.”
The nation’s water infrastructure is aging and in need of investment, having gone underfunded for decades. Drought, flooding, and climate change are stressing our water and wastewater systems. 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 2 million jobs in jeopardy.
While many of these challenges are regionally-specific and will require locally-driven solutions, reinvestment in our water must be a national priority. Imagine a Day Without Water tells the stories of the challenges we face when our water infrastructure fails, but also of the innovative solutions being implemented in communities nationwide.
“In Frankfort, we joined Imagine a Day Without Water because we recognize the value of water and the upkeep of its infrastructure,” Billings said. “We are in the process of replacing our water reservoir that is more than 130 years old. If the current reservoir ever failed, this community would be in crisis.”
Despite the vast challenges facing American water infrastructure, the good news is that there is great opportunity in investment. A study conducted by the Value of Water Campaign has found that there is over $220 billion in economic activity to be gained nationwide by closing the water infrastructure investment gap. The American public is already widely supportive of implementing these needed investments. Above any other pressing political issue, Americans name rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure as the issue they most want our elected officials to address.
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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.
National Media Contact
Abigail Gardner |Value of Water Campaign Communications Director| agardner@thevalueofwater.org
o. 412 421 0809 | c. 412 977 3051
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