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Help protect Oregon’s most precious natural resource by observing Imagine a Day Without Water on Oct. 15.
Each year, Imagine a Day Without Water invites us to do exactly that – visualize life without water for just one day. We quickly learn how indispensable water is to our everyday lives, and how our health, environment, and economy depend on reliable, consistent access to clean water.
Everyone needs water to survive. Today, 88% of Americans rank access to safe and clean water as one of their top three voter issues (2024 Value of Water Index). While progress has certainly been made in the accessibility of clean water across both the state and the nation, more than two million Americans still lack reliable access to drinking water or wastewater services.
Ways you can help
Positive change happens when we all work together to do our part. Here are three ways you can help build a movement in support of a clean, reliable water supply:
Prevent damage to our wastewater system.
Treatment is essential to cleaning our wastewater so it's safe for everyone to reuse and enjoy. You can prevent damage to treatment facilities and plumbing systems by only flushing the three P's down the toilet – pee, poop, and toilet paper. Remember –wipes, paper towels, and other "unflushables" can create sewer backups and overflows that can lead to groundwater, stream, or river pollution. Individual actions can make a significant difference!
Learn more about what not to flush
If it's on the ground, it's in our water!
When trash — including plastic bags, bottles, and cigarette butts — is thrown on the ground, it is washed into storm drains and directly into our waterways, harming aquatic life such as ducks, fish, turtles, and birds. Our entire ecosystem relies on clean water; properly disposing of litter and recyclable items are among the easiest ways to protect our waterways.
Learn more about the harm litter can cause
Build your clean water community.
Protecting our water starts at home, but it also takes community action. Numerous volunteer and community activities offer opportunities to make a difference locally and across the broader watershed. Mark your calendar for an upcoming virtual webinar or community cleanup event! Your participation is a crucial part of the collective effort to protect our water.
Clackamas Water Environment Services produces clean water, protects water quality and recovers renewable resources. We do this by providing wastewater services, stormwater management, and environmental education. It's our job to protect public health and support the vitality of our communities, natural environment and economy.