Sanitation District No. 1 (SD1) and the Northern Kentucky Water District (NKWD) will join a national “Imagine a Day Without Water” education and advocacy campaign Thursday to drive home the importance of clean water in our community.
SD1 and NKWD work around the clock, 365 days a year to ensure Northern Kentuckians never have to actually experience a day without clean water, and now they’re joining over 1,000 organizations across the country to raise awareness about the role of water infrastructure in our lives and the importance of investment in these critical services. “Imagine a Day Without Water” is led by the US Water Alliance’s Value of Water Campaign.
The focus of this year’s event is to invite people to take the #OneWaterPledge and learn more about where our water comes from and where our wastewater goes. SD1 and NKWD work across Northern Kentucky to keep local waterways clean and healthy.
“This is our community, and for over 75 years, SD1 has dedicated itself to serving Northern Kentucky with pride,” SD1 Executive Director Adam Chaney said. “When everything flows smoothly, our work is mostly hidden. But we treat about 35 million gallons of wastewater every single day. Imagine what our community would be like without that service.”
Chaney said a vast network of nearly 1,700 miles of wastewater pipe connects nearly 350,000 residents to a treatment plant where wastewater undergoes up to 30 hours of biological and chemical processes to transform dirty water into water fit for the Ohio River. SD1 also collects and treats millions of gallons of wastewater from our community’s schools, hospitals and industries.
Over the next 20 years, SD1 will invest nearly a billion dollars in innovative wastewater and stormwater management solutions to keep our community safe and clean for generations to come. “Our Clean H2O40 program balances the need to keep local waterways clean and safe with the need to provide affordable services in Northern Kentucky,” Chaney said. “That balance is at the heart of our commitment to making our community a better place in which to live, work and play.”
The Northern Kentucky Water District serves nearly 300,000 people in Campbell, Kenton and portions of Boone, Grant and Pendleton counties, as well as the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport.
Covering a service area of nearly 300 square miles with over 1,317 miles of main, NKWD is the largest district in Kentucky and is the Commonwealth’s third largest water provider, with a capacity of 64 million gallons per day. NKWD operates from its headquarters in Erlanger and its three water treatment plants in Taylor Mill, Fort Thomas and Newport and its system includes 13 pump stations and 19 water storage tanks.
“For many Americans, living a day without water is an unfortunate reality – not something to be imagined,” said Lindsey Rechtin, President/CEO of NKWD. “When a community experiences water contamination or shortages, they have no water to drink, prepare meals, bathe their children, wash their hands, flush the toilet, or do laundry. Firefighters can’t put out fires, and farmers cannot water their crops. Hospitals would close without water. Our vision at NKWD is to be the most sustainable and innovative utility in the region. We work 24/7 to ensure that our community members can go about their every day lives without having to wonder if their water is safe to drink or will come out of their tap when they turn it on.”
Imagine a Day Without Water was envisioned as an advocacy and education day that asks Americans to think about what it would mean to go without water for a day. There are already 2 million Americans living without water service, and with the stress of climate change and the challenges of maintaining water infrastructure that is a century old in some places, there is growing concern about the stability of water supplies and services.
“We’re grateful to SD1 and NKWD for being a part of this year’s Imagine a Day Without Water,” said Oluwole (OJ) McFoy, board chair of the US Water Alliance. “Raising awareness about the state of water infrastructure is a crucial step to ensuring water systems keep flowing for generations to come. Even though we cannot see the pipes and sewers beneath our feet, water cannot be taken for granted. High-quality water service is a critical part of every thriving community. Today, we encourage everyone to take a minute to learn more about their local water system, where their drinking water comes from and where their wastewater goes.”
Learn more at imagineadaywithoutwater.org and follow the conversation on social media at #ValueWater.
Sanitation District No. 1
