October 10, 2018 – TULSA – Today, SGA Design Group joined elected officials, water utilities, community leaders, educators, and businesses participating in the fourth annual Imagine a Day Without Water, a nationwide day of education and advocacy about the value of water. Led by the Value of Water Campaign, hundreds of organizations across the country will host events and spearhead projects today aimed at raising awareness about the crucial need for investment in our nation’s water infrastructure.
“Freshwater is essential for all life on Earth. Less than 3% of all water on Earth is freshwater, but most of it is locked up in glaciers and ice. Only about 1% of all freshwater is readily available, and its global uses include drinking, crop irrigation, sanitation, and manufacturing, to name just a few,” said Kim Limbaugh, Director of Sustainability at SGA Design Group. “Those facts alone are a strong argument for conservation and reinvestment in the sustainability of our nation’s water infrastructure. Coupled with the recent droughts and contamination incidents, there is no room for doubt that significant investment is necessary. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, “When the well is dry (or unsafe to drink), we know the worth of water”.”
After decades of underfunding, water infrastructure is aging and in need of investment. Drought, flooding, and population changes 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 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.
“We’re thrilled that SGA Design Group 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. “Water infrastructure is often out of sight, out of mind. 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 before we face a national crisis.”