Help ensure clean, safe drinking water

Imagine a day without water

Today is national Imagine A Day Without Water day. Imagine facing the current global pandemic without clean, safe water. Regular handwashing is one of the most important ways to limit the spread of coronavirus and other diseases. During the last 19 months, water systems throughout Washington kept clean, safe water flowing in homes, hospitals, and essential businesses. Without a steady flow of clean water, it would be so much harder to stay safe and limit the spread. It’s a good reminder of how our water systems help protect public health.

How do water systems support our lives and communities?

What your day would be like if you couldn’t turn on the tap and get clean drinking water for cooking, washing, and showering? What would your community look like without water to . . .

• Cook food in restaurants?
• Clean stores, hospitals, and schools?
• Fight fires?
• Grow nourishing food on farms and ranches? or
• Support the many industries and manufacturers that depend on it?

Many of us are lucky enough to take our water service for granted every day. We rarely think about the pipes, pumps, and treatment that ensures uncontaminated water flows when we turn on the tap. But the truth is, those water systems are aging; some were installed a century ago. Meanwhile, new threats from wildfires, flooding, toxic algae, and drought threaten these systems.

The state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) helps public water systems — big and small — keep up with repairs and improve treatment and infrastructure. The fund provides low or no-interest loans to water systems for construction, emergencies, and training so they know when to upgrade or replace things. You can read about successful projects on our DWSRF Profiles page.

We also invite you to visit the Imagine a Day Without Water site today and learn more about your local water system and how you can support it. Investing in water is investing in our future, so no one will ever have to experience a day without water.

#WAH2O #ValueWater #ImagineNoWater #CleanWater

More Information

Information in this blog changes rapidly. Sign up to be notified whenever we post new articles. For more information from the Washington State Department of Health, visit doh.wa.gov.

Questions about COVID-19? Visit our COVID-19 website to learn more about vaccines and booster doses, testing, WA Notify, and more. You can also contact the Department of Health call center at 1–800–525–0127 and press # from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday — Sunday and observed state holidays. Language assistance is available.