Map Tells Tennessee Story as Part of ‘Imagine a Day Without Water’

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today released an online StoryMap to help tell Tennessee’s story on water infrastructure as part of the nationwide initiative Imagine a Day Without Water on Oct. 21.

The StoryMap depicts a group of Tennessee companies and utilities across the state that are making smart investments in infrastructure that will serve Tennesseans for years to come.  

“Our state has an abundance of water, but it is a resource we must effectively manage and conserve,” TDEC Commissioner David Salyers said. “The StoryMap shows how approaches such as replacing old infrastructure, planning for expansion, and addressing stream restoration are vital strategies for responsible water management in Tennessee. Such projects will have a long-term effect on both our environment and our economy.”

The StoryMap can be found at www.tn.gov/environment/tnh2o.

Imagine a Day Without Water, now in its sixth year, is an initiative of the U.S. Water Alliance as a day of education and advocacy about the value of water. Organizations across the country are participating in the observation. The idea is for Americans to pause and consider what a day would be like without this valuable resource.

In Tennessee, TDEC has led an effort called TNH₂O, a public and private collaborative strategy to sustain and protect the state’s water resources. TNH₂O assesses current water resources and makes recommendations to help ensure Tennessee has an abundance of water to support future population and economic growth.

“The Nature Conservancy is proud to be a member of the TNH₂O collaboration and to have supported the development of the StoryMap project,” said Sally Palmer, director of Science and Policy for The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee. “We believe sharing stories of how we can all cooperate to protect and manage Tennessee’s amazing rivers is one of the best ways to educate the public about water issues and point toward a hopeful future for our communities and our natural resources.”

Over the last five years, Imagine a Day Without Water has provided a platform for informing the public and advocating for leaders to prioritize investing in water so in the future no American will have to imagine a day without it. More information is available at www.imagineadaywithoutwater.org.