A recent proclamation by Palmyra Borough Council encourages residents to think about an essential, yet often overlooked, part of everyday life – water.
At its Monday, Oct. 21, meeting, council adopted a proclamation to designate Wednesday, Oct. 23, as “A Day Without Water” in the borough, meant to be held in conjunction with New Jersey American Water’s fifth annual “Imagine a Day Without Water” public awareness campaign.
Led by the Value of Water Campaign, the day focuses on educating the public about the importance of having accessible water and the crucial need for investment in water infrastructure nationwide.
According to New Jersey American Water, while water is imperative to carry out many everyday functions, it remains often overlooked due to the accessibility to quality water in this country. Not much thought is given to the journey water travels from source to tap, undergoing hundreds of tests and treatments and flowing through many miles of main. In a state as old as New Jersey, it may not come as a surprise that much of the state’s aging water infrastructure requires investment, considering New Jersey’s pipes have been working around the clock for 100 years or more.
Imagine a Day Without Water presents the opportunity to bring this issue to light, which is one of the main reasons why Councilwoman Bernadette Russell wanted to present this day to the Borough Council and why the rest of the members agreed to bring it to Palmyra.
“Other than the air we breathe, water is the most important thing we need to sustain life,” said Borough Administrator John Gural. “Resources are depleting at a rapid pace and even at the Borough Hall, we have tried to reduce our impact on the environment.
“Without water, just think about the severe consequences we’d have if we couldn’t go straight to the tap right away,” continued Gural. “At the Borough Hall, we switched from buying water bottles to having a water cooler. We have about 70 employees here, so just think of the impact of all that plastic. Now we can use reusable water bottles to stay hydrated and have less of an impact on the environment.”
According to New Jersey American Water President Cheryl Norton, as consumers, people use water constantly without realizing it, whether that’s using things that were made with water or eating something that needed water to grow. Everyone knows that water is essential for life, but how often do people stop to appreciate the fact that this country has it?
The “A Day Without Water Proclamation” in Palmyra is asking residents to do exactly that.
“This day is not just important in Palmyra, but worldwide,” said Gural. “It’s an attempt to raise awareness and the consciousness of our direct impact to water. I absolutely hope this proclamation will continue on with residents even after the day has passed.”
