By Don Ireland, contributing writer for Colorado WaterWise
The ninth annual “Imagine a Day without Water” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 19, across the nation.
In a country where news about droughts, destructive wildfires and subsequent floods have topped the news headlines during the past year, the U.S. Water Alliance, which sponsors the event, is hoping to further expand the reach of the annual informational program.
“Imagine a Day without Water” is designed to reach people, organizations and companies with the idea that water is a precious, life-essential ingredient.
“We have a long way to go to ensure that everyone has access to clean and affordable drinking water in the U.S. In order to do this, we need a long-term strategy of ensuring water affordability and a short-term strategy of providing water assistance,” said Dr. Yasmin Zaerpoor, director of Water Equity and Climate Resilience at PolicyLink.
The U.S. Water Alliance is hoping individuals and groups will use social media to announce their participation in the Oct. 19 event. In the past, they also have asked participants to engage with local elected leaders to help bring awareness to the importance of water. Last year, the governor of Hawaii and mayors from several U.S. cities signed proclamations, announcing support for the event.
More than 1,400 organizations, ranging from water providers and utilities to engineering firms, environmental groups and others signed up to participate in “Imagine a Day without Water” activities.
The website also offers ideas for events at schools, community functions and other activities on Oct. 19. They include holding student art shows, hosting family-friendly events, writing stories or columns for local media and more. For those thinking about joining the 2023 campaign, free sign-ups are available at: www.imagineadaywithoutwater.org. The website also offers a variety of ideas and tools, including information on past projects, student resources, a social media toolkit, sample blogs and a variety of templates.
Source: Colorado WaterWise