Dear Editor,
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global shift in how we function as a society. From quarantine orders, to face masks, to social distancing, we are all getting used to the “new normal.”
However, there are two sectors, quietly working in the background, almost invisible to the public, but which are the basis for how we can continue to function as a society: the water and wastewater sectors.
Healthcare workers, hospitals, grocery stores, and restaurants—cornerstones to protecting public health and continuing to provide the essentials needed to get through the quarantine in our homes—would all crumble if water and wastewater services came to a halt.
No water to wash hands or shower with? Sanitize equipment? Clean floors? Cook with? Wash dishes? Think of the current state of the world, and then imagine it with no water.
Can’t flush a toilet? Drains no longer work? Can’t shower? Do laundry?
Think of the current state of the world, and then imagine it with no wastewater services.
On March 27, the U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent a letter to Governors in all 50 states, requesting that water and wastewater workers, as well as the manufacturers and suppliers who provide vital services and materials to the water sector, be considered essential workers.
In addition, water and wastewater professionals are considered first responders by the Department of Homeland Security, meaning they are critical to helping protect public health and safety.
So the next time you turn on your faucet, or flush your toilet, think of and thank the humble water and wastewater operators (i.e., heroes) who are still working to ensure the lifeblood of our communities continues to flow—in both directions.
Kirsten King, executive director NE Water Works Association
