News Release

For Immediate Release
September 26, 2019

Oahu Residents Asked to "Imagine A Day Without Water" on October 23

Three City Agencies Partner to Emphasize the Value of Water in Our Daily Lives

HONOLULU – The Board of Water Supply (BWS) and the City’s Department of Environmental Services (ENV), Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM), and Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (Resilience Office) are working together to encourage Oahu residents to “Imagine A Day Without Water” on Wed., Oct. 23, 2019.

Each agency oversees some element of water for the City. BWS manages drinking water, ENV, wastewater, DFM, stormwater, and Resilience Office, water conservation, recharge, and reuse within the Hawaii Freshwater Initiative. They are participating in a national one-day observance called “Imagine A Day Without Water,” which aims to educate people about the importance of water in their lives and to raise awareness about the need to invest in water infrastructure.

The local BWS-ENV-DFM-Resilience Office campaign reaches out to inform Oahu water users of the integral role of water in our regular activities, encourage them to value it more, and inspire easy lifestyle changes that contribute to the improved health and sustainability of our island home.

Honolulu Managing Director Roy Amemiya will sign a proclamation on Oct. 15 to declare Oct. 23 as Imagine A Day Without Water Day on Oahu.

Oahu’s campaign has three components to engage its water users:

• In-person:  A Value Water booth will be set up on Oct. 23 -- from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tamarind Park, 1001 Bishop St, and at Kapolei Hale, 1000 Uluohia St. Visitors will receive educational handouts and a small giveaway to remind them do their part in protecting and preserving our precious water resources.
• Social media photo contest: Entrants need to post a picture to depict what their day would be like without water.  The grand prize includes a 35 or 55-gallon rain barrel, or an unthirsty plant with a bag of Granulite fertilizer and an eco-friendly basil planter. 
• Social media outreach:  Posts started on Sept. 23 aimed to stimulate conversations in the digital world about drinking water, wastewater, sustainability, and stormwater, and to promote the contest.

For more information about the Imagine A Day Without Water and rules about the social media photo contest, visit the BWS’s website at www.boardofwatersupply.com/valuewater.

About the Board of Water Supply

The Board of Water Supply (BWS), a semi-autonomous agency of the City and County of Honolulu, manages Oahu’s municipal water resources and distribution system.  As the largest water utility in the State, the BWS serves approximately one million customers on Oahu.  The BWS embraces its mission of “Water for Life – Ka Wai Ola” – to provide a safe, dependable, and affordable water supply, now and into the future.  Uwē  ka lani, ola ka honua – “When the heavens weep, the earth lives.”  For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com.

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Contact:

Tracy Burgo
Information Specialist
Honolulu Board of Water Supply
Phone: (808) 748-5313