WATER

SHOULD
BE CLEAR,
BUT NOT
INVISIBLE.
Indispensable to jobs, the economy, our health and our communities,
water runs through our lives in many ways.

We must all work together to keep our water clean and healthy. To do that, we each need to learn
to value water. We need to invest our time and energy in protecting our natural resources and
infrastructure. And we need to come together to share an important message:
WATER’S WORTH...
YOUR YOUR YOUR YOUR OUR
RESPECT EFFORT HEALTH FUTURE PASSION

Communities are Clean Water Water IS Life Dealing with an Aging Finding Solutions for
Built on Water is Everyone’s Up to 60% of the human Infrastructure the 21st Century
Unlike people in many Responsibility Turning on the tap or The water sector con-
body is water, the brain is
parts of the world, We all consume water 70% water, and the lungs flushing the toilet is as stantly seeks innovative
Americans have access and create waste. In fact, are nearly 90% water. We simple as turning a knob solutions to community
to safe and clean water the average American are made of water and we or pushing a handle. What and water system chal-
and sanitation services. uses 176 gallons of water can’t survive without it. But you don’t see is the vast lenges. Undertaking
Our water and wastewater a day1. Every drop that the water we need also infrastructure — 800,000 efforts, such as reclaiming
treatment systems are enters your home or must be clean. Water and of miles of water pipe and water for reuse and gener-
world-class. Every com- business is treated and wastewater treatment has 600,000 miles of sewer ating energy from waste-
munity is literally built on discharged back into the changed the lives of mil- line2— that takes over from water, enable the sector
top of this infrastructure water cycle. Water is a lions of Americans—all but there. These systems have to adapt to our changing
and wouldn’t be possible finite resource; it must be eliminating fatal diseases worked silently for years, environment and be good
without it. You may not give managed well. Everybody like cholera, typhoid, in some cases more than caretakers of our water
it a second thought, but uses water. Everybody is dysentery, and hepatitis. a century, without major resources. Water profes-
now’s the time to stop and responsible for it. America has some of the interruptions, but now they sionals have dedicated
think about water and how cleanest, safest drinking need your attention. Your their careers to providing
essential these services are water in the world and it investment is needed to clean and safe water to
to your life. must be preserved. Your keep infrastructure func- protect everyone’s health,
life depends on it. tional for current and future planet, and quality of life.
generations. Water is our passion.

YOU NEED WATER. WATER NEEDS YOU.

We all have something at stake when it comes to water. Each of us also has a valuable contribution to make. But first we need to understand the issues.
That’s where WATER’S WORTH IT comes in.
WATER’S WORTH IT is a messaging campaign that will help answer the questions about how our actions, attitudes, and the things we most value are so
closely connected with water. And it will help you to be as good to water as water’s been to you. To learn more, visit www.WatersWorthIt.org.

1
United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2006 (March 2006), p. 34. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2006/
2
General Accounting Office, Water Infrastructure: Comprehensive Asset Management Has Potential to Help Utilities Better Identify Needs and Plan Future Investments (March 2004), p. 14. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04461.pdf