This year, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine a Day Without Something. Remember when you thought you’d have to go without toilet paper? Or hand sanitizer? And the run on potatoes and pasta was something to see!
We don’t mean to poke fun. Back in the spring, when it felt like suddenly we might not have access to whatever modern day or basic supply we might want was shocking, and a little scary.
Which makes this year’s Imagine a Day Without Water a little close to home for most of us, and incredibly relevant as we think about what we want our world to look like in the coming years.
Imagine just a single day without our most basic necessity
The national Imagine a Day Without Water is in its 6th year and is gaining momentum. Last year, nearly 10 million social media impressions flooded the internet with #ValueWater and #ImagineADayWithoutWater hashtags.
Today, October 21st is the day to pause from the chaos of this whirlwind of a year, and truly imagine what it would be like to wake up in the morning and have no water.
You can’t brush your teeth. The toilet can’t be flushed. You can’t do laundry, tackle the sink full of dirty dishes or (gawp!) shower.
Once you got over the shock of those modern-day comforts, the hard truth would settle in.
What will you drink? (You seriously can’t even make coffee.) And, more important than ever this year, how will you wash your hands?
Water is for more than just drinking and making coffee
That last point is especially distressing this year. Remember back in March when we were all reminded of the importance of hand washing? (Although, really, it’s kind of embarrassing that we had to be reminded of that…)
Soap, clean water, and two rousing rounds of belting out the happy birthday song into the bathroom mirror and we’ve suddenly added a serious layer of protection against the harmful virus swiftly circling the globe.
Imagine if we couldn’t even do that.
And what about hospitals? How will they continue their important work without even the most basic of their tools? Or firefighters, farmers, and the scores of other systems that are put in place that keep our world ticking?
Imagining a day without water is about more than just fear
For billions of people around the world, imagining a day without water is not so much a fiction as it is a reality. Many people don’t have enough to drink, and many more don’t have access to clean water. And this separation is a tale as old as time, one of the haves and the have nots, one about a narrow or a wide gender gap, access to education, basic health care, and longevity.
But today is about much more than inspiring fear into the heart of this already fearful time. No need to start filling up buckets or squirreling away water just yet.
Here in America, truly imagining some of the things above is hard. Access to clean, plentiful freshwater is something most of us take for granted. Turn on the tap. Use as much as we want. Move on to more important things.
Besides taking a moment of gratitude to be thankful for the engineering marvels of our time and our country, today is also a day to remember that it’s not magic that makes water available and fresh and safe.
This marvel takes teams of people, professionals who devote their careers to giving us the gift of fresh water. It also takes investment from the national level on down.
Putting politics aside, access to water is something that does take a continual commitment from our elected officials, government employees, local representatives, utilities, landlords and homeowners.
The truth is, America’s water infrastructure is getting older. Breaks in water pipes are expected to increase by 600 percent in the next 20 years. If we don’t invest in taking care of our systems, imagining a day without water might not be something we’ll have to imagine in the future. It could be a reality.
That’s not such a hard concept, right?
In our line of work, it’s not hard to value water. Taking care of the important functions and systems around us is something near and dear to our hearts.
Here at Ecogardens, we’re pretty committed to taking care of things we invest in. We are firm believers in stewardship and maintenance, and prioritizing our actions so that what we’ve built continues to function as it was meant to.
If you find yourself wondering about the important features and systems in your life that you have control over, get in touch to learn more about how the team at Ecogardens can help out you. Our experience in Stormwater Management is a critical part of protecting our city from pollution, disease and structural damage. All important aspects of directing storm and wastewater into the appropriate systems, and keeping access to freshwater smooth so we never have to elevate Imagining a Day Without Water to Living a Day Without Water.
We want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on this? Let us know through our Contact Us form.
