Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the City of South Bend today joined elected officials, water utilities, community leaders, and businesses participating in the third 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, hundreds of organizations across the country will raise awareness about the crucial need for investment in our nation’s water infrastructure to ensure that no American community is left without safe and reliable water.
“Water resources are vital to a functioning community,” said Mayor Buttigieg. “Our City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and Water Works work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure that our water is clean and accessible. Today we’re drawing attention to their important work and calling for more federal funding to make sure that water stays clean and accessible.”
“We’re thrilled that the City of South Bend is a part of Imagine a Day Without Water. This national day of action educates our neighbors and public officials about the essential role water plays in all of our lives, and the threat that aging and underfunded water infrastructure poses to our communities and economy” said Radhika Fox, CEO of the US Water Alliance and Director of the Value of Water Campaign. “It is easy to take our water infrastructure for granted because it is often underground and out of sight. But, the systems that deliver water to and from our homes and businesses require reinvestment and upkeep just like roads and bridges. It is time to take action before we face a crisis.”
The City of South Bend Water Works contains 8 wellfields and has a water distribution network of over 600 miles, supplying 5.3 billion gallons annually. The Wastewater Treatment Plant contains 40 pumping stations and processes an average of 48 million gallons per day from 590 miles of sewer lines.
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