West Orange, N.J. (October 2026) - As communities across the country mark Imagine a Day Without Water, Trust in Water is joining the call for sustained investment in the nation’s water and wastewater systems. The national day of education is led by the Value of Water Campaign, which since 2015 has worked to build public and political will for investment in America’s water infrastructure. It asks Americans to consider what a single day without reliable water service would mean for their homes, their jobs and their communities, and it asks the utilities that deliver that service to help make the case.
The answer is measurable. If water service were disrupted nationwide for just 24 hours, the economy would lose nearly $120 billion in economic activity, 527,000 jobs and $69 billion in GDP. Water service is the infrastructure many people do not think about until it stops, and the consequences reach every sector that depends on it.
The Investment Gap Is Measured in Trillions
The Value of Water Campaign, working with Stantec and One Water Econ, found in The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure that the United States must invest roughly $3.4 trillion over 20 years to repair and modernize its drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems. That figure reflects decades of deferred maintenance arriving alongside new regulatory requirements and aging treatment facilities.
Investment in Water Returns More Than It Costs
Closing that gap is not only a public health obligation; it is an economic opportunity. The Value of Water Campaign’s analysis found that every $1 million invested in water infrastructure generates:
- $2.5 million in economic output
- $1.4 million in GDP
- $837,000 in labor income
- 10 jobs
Those returns stay local. Pipe replacement, treatment plant upgrades and system modernization are performed by regional utility employees, contractors, engineers and skilled trades, and the resulting reliability supports every employer in the area.
What Private, Regulated Providers Contribute
Private, regulated water and wastewater providers help communities close the investment gap by bringing capital, technical expertise and long-term planning to systems that need them. They operate under state regulatory oversight, plan capital programs across decades rather than budget cycles, and maintain the certified workforce that smaller systems increasingly struggle to recruit and retain.
For many communities, particularly small and rural systems, partnership is what makes modernization possible at all. Investment that would otherwise be deferred indefinitely gets completed, compliance is restored and residents keep reliable service.
A Day Worth Imagining
Imagine a Day Without Water is an invitation to notice what works. Safe, clean, reliable water does not happen on its own. It is the product of sustained investment, skilled people and systems maintained long before anyone notices them.
The water sector cannot afford to wait for a failure to make the case. The research is clear that investing in water infrastructure returns more than it costs, and that the price of inaction is paid by communities, workers and local economies alike. Imagine a Day Without Water is a reminder to make that case now, and an invitation for every utility to help make it.
About Trust in Water
Trust in Water is a 501(c)(4) non-profit entity created to provide education about the role of private water and wastewater providers as trusted partners in delivering safe, clean, reliable, and sustainable water solutions to communities across America. For more information on Trust in Water, please visit www.trustinh2o.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Trust in Water