Drinking water is delivered through one million miles of pipes running across the U.S., and AMERICAN plays a valuable role in this distribution network. The products we make every day deliver water to and carry wastewater away from homes and businesses. Without these pipes, valves and hydrants, we wouldn’t have water for drinking, economic development, fire protection, health, life and more.

This is why AMERICAN is participating in Imagine a Day Without Water on Wednesday, October 10, 2018. For the third straight year, we are joining more than 600 water and wastewater utilities, water proponents, organizations, media and businesses across the U.S. in raising awareness about the value of water in our daily lives and the need to invest in our nation’s aging and failing water and wastewater infrastructure.

A 2018 national poll conducted by the Value of Water Campaign found that 88 percent of Americans support increasing federal investment to rebuild water infrastructure and 75 percent want Congress to invest in our nation’s infrastructure before our systems fail.

With the upcoming mid-term elections, the focus of AMERICAN’s efforts this year is “Elect Water: Infrastructure First in 2018.” Investing in our nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure is a bipartisan issue that has support among Democrats and Republicans. In fact, a 2018 national poll conducted by the Value of Water Campaign found that 88 percent of Americans support increasing federal investment to rebuild water infrastructure and 75 percent want Congress to invest in our nation’s infrastructure before our systems fail.

As individuals, imagining a day without water means no water for drinking, brushing our teeth, showering, doing laundry, washing dishes and much more. For businesses and the economy, a day without water means decreased production and lost revenue. A report from the Value of Water Campaign found that a one-day disruption in water services across the U.S. would result in a $43.5 billion daily sales loss to businesses. What can we do to help? We can support initiatives such as Imagine a Day Without Water that raise awareness about the value of water and highlight the need for infrastructure investment. We can share U.S. infrastructure facts with our friends, family and community. By working together, we can ensure no American has to imagine a day without water. Visit www.imagineadaywithoutwater.org to learn more or search #ValueWater on Twitter and LinkedIn to see what others are saying.

U.S. Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Facts

• Many of our nation’s pipelines were installed in the early to mid-1900s and are nearing the end of their service life.
• 700 water main breaks occur every day in the U.S., and 1.7 trillion gallons of water is lost to leaks and breaks each year.
• The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 Infrastructure Report Card gave the nation’s drinking water infrastructure a D and its wastewater infrastructure a D+.
• The American Water Works Association estimates $1 trillion is needed over the next 25 years to maintain and expand drinking water infrastructure.
• On September 13, 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to fund water infrastructure. The bill is awaiting a vote by the Senate.