Resilient Water Management Briefing Held this Week

The Value of Water Campaign, The National League of Cities, and the World Resources Institute held a Congressional Briefing this week in Washington, DC entitled, “Resilient Water Management: Strengthening Communities & Growing Economies,” and ASDWA staff attended.  This was part of a series of events held during Infrastructure Week across the country by water utilities and organizations to highlight the state of our nation’s infrastructure and encourage policy makers to invest in the projects, technologies, and policies necessary to make America competitive, prosperous, and safe.  Following are some highlights from the briefing:

• Betsy Otto of the World Resources Institute provided opening remarks about the nation’s aging infrastructure and water challenges associated with climate extremes and combined sewer overflows. She highlighted the need for investment in natural infrastructure to reduce drinking water treatment costs and the need for innovation such as producing energy from wastewater.
• Emily Feenstra of the US Water Alliance also shared information from the report entitled, “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure,” that finds an estimated 1.3 million jobs and $220 billion in economic activity would be produced if the water infrastructure investment needs gap was filled.

Mayors from the cities of Natchez, Mississippi, West Palm Beach, Florida, and Easton, Pennsylvania also shared information during the briefing about their efforts to address infrastructure and environmental challenges such as using sewage for fertilizer, implementing an integrated water management approach that includes recapturing stormwater, and efforts to get community buy-in on infrastructure investments that are hidden under the ground.
For more information about the hearing and the Value of Water Campaign, visit the website HERE.