MADISON – Today, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC or Commission) joins elected officials, water utilities, community leaders, educators, and businesses from across the country as part of the seventh annual Imagine a Day Without Water, a nationwide day of education and advocacy about the value of water.
“The PSC’s goal is to ensure our local water utilities have the resources needed to provide access to high-quality service at a reasonable price so that no customer needs to experience a day without water,” said PSC Chairperson Rebecca Cameron Valcq. “I am proud that Wisconsin is one of the few states that regulates water utilities from an economic standpoint, allowing the Commission to ensure our systems have the financial strength to keep infrastructure up-to-date and decrease the risk of contamination and service interruptions.”
Currently, the PSC oversees more than 575 drinking water utilities and wastewater (sanitary sewer) utilities across the state. To help sustain natural and financial resources, the PSC’s Water Loss Control Initiative requires utilities to report annually on their water system efficiency. In addition, since 2018, the Commission has approved eight utility applications to provide financial assistance to customers who replace a service line containing lead. These eight utilities helped customers replace 1,005 service lines containing lead so far and will eventually help remove more than 25,000 customer-side service lines containing lead.
“We’re grateful to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for being a part of this year’s Imagine a Day Without Water,” said Oluwole (O.J.) McFoy, Board Chair of the U.S. Water Alliance. “Raising awareness about the state of water infrastructure is a crucial step to ensuring water systems keep flowing for generations to come. Even though we cannot see the pipes and sewers beneath our feet, water cannot be taken for granted.”
Recently, Wisconsin received more than $21 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for several projects that will modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the state. According to the 2021 Value of Water Index, 83% of Americans said ensuring a stable supply of water should be a top federal priority. They also ranked addressing water contamination and investing in infrastructure as top priorities. Learn more at imagineadaywithoutwater.org and follow the conversation on social media at #ValueWater.
