Commentary: Imagine a day without water
Imagine. You wake up, turn on the faucet to brush your teeth, and nothing comes out. Shower. Same. No water. No coffee!
Safe, clean drinking water plays an essential, life-sustaining role in our lives, yet the infrastructure needed to maintain its delivery to our homes and businesses is often out of sight, and therefore, out of mind. You wake up, shower, make your coffee, feed your family, flush the toilet, wash your laundry, water your garden. But have you thought about where your water comes from?
Millions of Americans take water service for granted every day. With reliable service, people don't have to think twice about the infrastructure that brings water to them, but everyone should be concerned about the future of these systems.
Today, marks the 10th annual Imagine a Day Without Water. This National Day of Action organized by the U.S. Water Alliance is a chance to pause, reflect on the way that water systems impact our lives and communities and commit to ensuring a sustainable water future.
What would your day be like if you couldn't turn on the tap and get clean drinking water? What would happen to our restaurants, hospitals, firefighters, farms, wineries and other businesses that depend on water?
Water infrastructure is the lifeline of our Valley. From humble beginnings with Milliken Dam in 1923, the City of Napa now maintains an extensive network of water facilities spanning over 60 square miles throughout Napa County, including 5,000 acres of watershed land, two dams, two reservoirs, three treatment plants, nine pump stations, 14 storage tanks, and 360 miles of pipe. A dedicated team of 68 employees operates and manages this infrastructure 24/7 to ensure reasonable cost, high quality, reliable water service for 85,000 people in the City and unincorporated County area.
The City also maintains key pipeline interties with the cities of American Canyon, St. Helena, and Calistoga, the Town of Yountville, and the California Veterans Home, enabling them to receive water under contract for emergency purposes or to supplement their own local sources.
The Edward I. Barwick Jamieson Canyon Water Treatment Plant processes State Water Project water imported from the Sacramento River Delta. A $40 million improvements project completed in 2011 increased plant production capacity and added ozone treatment to improve finished water quality. State Water allotments for Calistoga and American Canyon are also treated at this state-of-the-art facility.
But as our counterparts in the Valley and across the country well know, water systems are showing their age. Nearly $2 trillion of investment is needed to improve our nation's water infrastructure. A water main breaks every two minutes somewhere in this country. Despite the challenge, there is good news: people across our country care about water.
The 2024 Value of Water Index found that 88 percent of all American voters believe that access to safe and reliable water is a top priority, a belief that crosses geographic and political boundaries. There also is broad bipartisan support for more federal investment to improve our nation's water infrastructure.
The City of Napa is certainly not immune from water infrastructure concerns. Approximately 140 miles of the City's water mains are over 60 years old, and crews repaired 88 main and service line leaks last year. Critical 36-inch and 42-inch transmission mains are subject to catastrophic failure.
The Hennessey Treatment Plant is 43 years old and requires major upgrades, including ozone treatment to improve water taste and odor. All of these issues will require a prudent investment of capital funds to address. The current Redwood Road water main rehabilitation between Solano Avenue and Highway 29 is a good example of an essential project to improve system reliability, as it reestablishes the last of the many freeway crossings damaged in the 2014 South Napa earthquake.
Thanks to support from our elected officials and ratepayers, the City will have increased annual capital improvement program investments from just $1 million in 2010 to $8 million by 2028, while continuing to provide service at some of the lowest water rates in the Bay Area. Visit cityofnapa.org/water for current water projects and programs.
Water challenges look different to each community and will require local solutions, but reinvestment in water systems should be a local, state, and national priority. Strong leadership on water is key to securing America's future.
Without reliable water, our families and communities cannot thrive, and our public health, safety, and economic prosperity are compromised.
Imagine a Day Without Water is an opportunity for everyone to get educated about our local water systems and challenges. We need leadership at every level if we want to ensure a reliable water future for generations to come.
Investing in water is investing in a future where no American, no Napan, will have to experience a day without water – or that morning cup of coffee!
Joy Eldredge is the City of Napa Deputy Utilities Director. Pat Costello is the City of Napa Water Resources Analyst.
