Water Businesses and Nonprofits Launch National Campaign

Public and private groups from drinking and wastewater sectors join forces to drive public awareness of water as an invaluable resource

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Value of Water Coalition, a group comprising leading organizations responsible for ensuring the safety, reliability and sustainability of our nation's water, today announced the launch of a new campaign to inform Americans about the value of water and the challenges facing our water infrastructure. The campaign is anchored by the website www.thevalueofwater.org.

The delivery of clean drinking water and the reliable treatment of wastewater are essential for every aspect of our daily lives, homes, workplaces and schools. A reliable system that ensures clean water and wastewater treatment makes our way of life possible. However, communities across the U.S. are relying on an aging water infrastructure in need of repair or replacement. It is estimated that there is one water main break every two minutes in the United States, and that the nation must invest $1.3 trillion in repairs and upgrades over the next 25 years. Yet the majority of adults incorrectly believe our water infrastructure is in good condition.

"While a majority of Americans believes clean water is of vital importance to the nation, just 40% of Americans think the same of water infrastructure, showing the clear disconnect this campaign aims to fix," said Eileen O'Neill, Acting Executive Director of the Water Environment Foundation (WEF). "Because much of our water system lies unseen underground, there is an awareness gap among the public that needs to be overcome in order to drive the support necessary to institute real and much-needed change."

To bridge this gap, the Value of Water Campaign will leverage content-generation and social sharing. The website, www.thevalueofwater.org, serves as the campaign's hub, aggregating the latest news and information on water-related issues. This information is then distributed through the Coalition's Value of Water social channels. Also, new content and information about water and water infrastructure in our daily lives will be regularly distributed online through videos, infographics and Slideshare decks.

"As the water sector continues to innovate and ensure its resiliency, so too are we looking to be innovative in the ways we communicate about how our work supports communities across the country," said Ken Kirk, Executive Director, National Association of Clean Water Agencies. "The greater the understanding of our nation's aging infrastructure and what is required to maintain it, the more we will value water as a precious resource and take actions to protect it for future generations."

This effort marks the first time such a broad coalition of water businesses and nonprofit associations has come together as a single voice. The organization unites public and private interests to address the current state of water infrastructure and the need for significant investment to keep system performance at the levels of quality and safety Americans have come to expect.

"This unprecedented effort by such a diverse group of organizations representing the public and private sectors, drinking water and clean water, really highlights the importance of addressing the challenges facing the U.S.," said David LaFrance, Executive Director, American Water Works Association (AWWA). "Water plays an invaluable role in our lives and businesses, but as the country continues to grow and develop, the continued delivery of drinking water and effective removal and treatment of wastewater are at risk."

The new and evolving Coalition represents city water utilities, non-profit water associations and water services and technology companies. They each work daily to ensure our homes and workplaces are supplied with clean and safe water for drinking and other uses, and that after its use, this same water is cleaned and made safe again before being discharged into the environment.

"Every individual, family and business across the United States depends on safe and reliable water service," said Michael Deane, Executive Director, National Association of Water Companies. "The current condition of our nation's water infrastructure puts that service in jeopardy and inaction only allows it to worsen. Americans must understand that these are very real challenges, but they can and must be met."

Current members of the Value of Water Coalition include: American Water, American Water Works Association (AWWA), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), CH2M HILL, MWH Global, National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), United Water, U.S. Water Alliance, Veolia Water, Water Environment Federation (WEF) and Xylem Inc.

The campaign goes live today, and can be found online at www.thevalueofwater.org, on Twitter at @thevalueofwater, on Google+ at thevalueofwater, on YouTube at thevalueofwater, on Flickr at thevalueofwater and Slideshare at valueofwater.

About the Value of Water Coalition and Its Campaign

The Value of Water Coalition members represent key stakeholders from the water sector. The campaign was formed to collectively leverage efforts to educate the public on the importance of clean, safe, and reliable water in every home and community, and the need for sufficient investment in water infrastructure to ensure quality water service for future generations.

SOURCE The Value of Water Coalition