It’s difficult to imagine a life without something. We’re all too familiar with the frustrations of everyday life. For example, when the WIFI is down, or cell reception is bad we lose immediate access to information and to our ability to call or text. This leads to a loss of efficiency and time. This got me thinking about a world without pumps.

Pumps play critical functions in modern society, yet they remain mostly hidden and we, therefore, take them for granted.

Water is probably the easiest to identify. Most Americans—not all unfortunately—know the luxury of turning on a faucet and enjoying access to free-flowing, clean water. Pumps bring water to our homes from wells and to our communities through elaborate water systems. Thanks to pumps, we don’t all need to live by a river or a freshwater source. Pumps bring pressure to systems so we can live in multistory buildings, and put out fires. Pumps also irrigate our crops and remove water from where it shouldn’t be—basements, flood zones, or the hull of a ship.

Although water is a large part of what is pumped, many other fluids and materials are pumped as well. Pumps are essential to many industrial processes. Pumps transfer ingredients in doses, making them critical to producing medicine and other products. Without pumps, we wouldn’t be able to produce power in power plants or make gasoline, let alone put it in our vehicles.

Pumping is also the most efficient way to process peanut butter and put it in jars. It is also how we mine things, from diamonds to the critical minerals needed for batteries, electronics, etc.. Without pumps, the data centers would not be cool enough to handle the heat produced by today’s data-driven, electronic lifestyles. The list goes on.

Hydraulic Institute’s upcoming A World Without Pumps campaign aims to underline the ubiquitous and essential nature of pumps. It will highlight the important role pumps and pumping systems play in society, and frame opportunities that exist for individuals seeking meaningful careers in this exciting industry.

From front-line sales to application and test engineers, R&D, design and manufacturing roles, the career opportunities are numerous. But just like pumps themselves, careers in the pump industry are often overlooked.

The Hydraulic Institute will be launching its A World Without Pumps campaign to raise awareness of the industry. A career center with training resources will help those with no knowledge of the industry gain a basic understanding of necessary requirements, and provide the tools for those who are already in the industry to thrive in it.

Perhaps you know someone who looking for a meaningful position in a critical industry. The pump industry makes a significant impact on our everyday lives. Visit pumps.org to share the campaign and share with us what your World Without Pumps would look like.