Oct. 23 is the fifth 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, more than 1,000 organizations across the country will raise awareness about not taking water for granted and the crucial need for investment in our nation’s water systems.

An investment in our drinking water and wastewater systems is essential to our national health, safety, environment, and economic prosperity.

Turning on the tap for clean, safe drinking water, and flushing the toilet with no second thought about what happens to wastewater, are actions most Americans take for granted every day. But drought, flooding, and population changes are stressing our water and wastewater systems. While most Americans enjoy reliable water service, our nation’s water infrastructure is aging and in need of investment. A day without water service is a public health and an economic disaster: A single nationwide day without water service would put $43.5 billion in economic activityat risk.

IAMU will be providing social media posts throughout the day on Oct. 23. Feel free to follow IAMU on Facebook (@IAMUpage) and share these posts. In addition, there are numerous free resources available on http://imagineadaywithoutwater.org that you can use to get the word out about the importance of water in your community.