Clean, affordable, and accessible water service is fundamental to public health and thriving communities.
guiding principles to secure our water future
4
The US Water Alliance's four principles can guide us to secure our water future.
BUT
COVID-19 has further highlighted the importance in our water and wastewater systems in terms of reliability, stability, and access.
1
Ensure water is reliable and affordable for all
Immediate Action
Future
Action
Before COVID-19, many households already couldn’t afford to pay the water rates utilities depend on to operate. Now, as economic contraction causes household incomes to shrink, more families are challenged to make these payments.
Impose a moratorium on water shutoffs, a common tactic to enforce rate payment. Provide state and federal assistance to help families pay their bills and to offset lost revenues for utilities.
Ensure basic level of water service for all by developing a support program (like LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), with investment from water providers and local, state, and federal governments.
Challenge
Challenge
Immediate Action
Future
Action
Provide emergency relief and recovery dollars for agencies operating the water systems, in the form of grant and low-interest loan funding, with a portion dedicated to systems facing greatest public health risk.
Action
Action
Challenge
Challenge
Strengthen water utilities of all sizes
2
Use existing FEMA and USACE natural disaster response protocols to close access gaps, prioritizing disadvantaged communities.
Future
Action
Future
Action
Establish water deliveries and hand-washing stations in communities without services.
Immediate Action
Immediate Action
Running water, indoor plumbing, and wastewater services are out of reach for over 2 million Americans. If one person or community doesn’t have clean water, the health and well-being of everyone else is at risk.
Challenge
Challenge
Close the water access gap
3
Begin planning for economic recovery with a focus on water systems. As well as creating jobs and significantly boosting the economy, investing in water systems now will leave us stronger and more resilient in the future.
Action
Action
A reliable, clean water supply supports a robust economy. So when a water main breaks, as happens every 2 minutes in the US, local economies suffer. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates we need to spend $1.2 trillion over the next 20 years to fix our water systems.
Challenge
Challenge
Fuel economic recovery by investing in water systems
4
To learn more about the US Water Alliance’s guiding principles, and join Stantec and other organizations as an endorser
These systems serve almost 25 million people. As economic activity declines due to COVID-19, small utilities are facing sudden drops in revenue and increased costs to staff critical operations during the pandemic.
Source: EPA 2009
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About 75% of US water systems are small or very small. These utilities are at risk of failure without assistance.
