(Kansas City, MO) – Today, KC Water joins elected officials, water utilities, community leaders, educators, and businesses from across the country as part of the seventh 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, over a thousand organizations across the country will join Imagine a Day Without Water on October 21, 2021, to raise awareness about the role of water infrastructure in our lives and the importance of investment. The focus of this year’s event is to invite people to learn more about where our water comes from and where our wastewater goes.
KC Water hosted a coloring contest for elementary school students to help all of us Imagine a Day Without Water. We would like to thank the following classes for participating:
Click on the school to view a video of their art.
- Tigner’s and Ms. Allen’s second grade class at Longfellow Elementary School,
- Boyd’s second grade class at Scoula Vita Nova Elementary School, and
- Evan’s second grade class at Notre Dame de Sion School.
KC Water also produced a video reminding us of this valuable resource.
KC Water hopes to draw attention to the challenges we face, including potential low river levels this year. Drought conditions continue to impact the Missouri River, KC Water’s primary source for drinking water. For that reason, KC Water installed auxiliary pumps to the intake structure of the water treatment plant to pump water in case the river levels get too low this winter.
“On Oct. 21st, we should all take a moment to think about what this world would be like without water. Customers should know that KC Water will continue to plan properly to make sure that we have the water we need,” says KC Water Director, Terry Leeds.
“We’re grateful to KC Water for being a part of this year’s Imagine a Day Without Water,” said Oluwole (OJ) McFoy, Board Chair of the US Water Alliance.
“Raising awareness about the state of water infrastructure is a crucial step to ensuring water systems keep flowing for generations to come. Even though we cannot see the pipes and sewers beneath our feet, water cannot be taken for granted. High-quality water service is a critical part of every thriving community. Today we encourage everyone to take a minute to learn more about their local water system, where their drinking water comes from and where their wastewater goes.”
Imagine a Day Without Water was envisioned as an advocacy and education day that asked Americans to think about what it would mean to go without water for a day. There are already two million Americans living without water service, and with the stress of climate change and the challenges of maintaining water infrastructure that is a century old in some places, there is growing concern about the stability of water supplies and service.
According to the 2021 Value of Water Index, 83 percent of Americans said ensuring a stable supply of water should be a top federal priority. They also ranked addressing water contamination and investing in infrastructure as top priorities. Learn more at imagineadaywithoutwater.org and follow the conversation on social media at #ValueWater.
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For more information contact Heather Frierson, KC Water Media Relations Coordinator, at heather.frierson@kcmo.org 816-513-0280, cell 816-674-0211.
KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.
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Value of Water Campaign Media Contact: media@uswateralliance.org
Imagine a Day Without Water began in 2015 as a project of The Value of Water Campaign. In 2021, more than 1,000 organizations signed up to participate in the annual day of advocacy and education.
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. Follow the Value of Water Campaign on Twitter and Facebook.