Every year, we recognize an annual day of action to imagine how those challenges could affect access to safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water.
This is a timely opportunity to elevate the importance of collaborative investment solutions that will rebuild our aging infrastructure.
With our nation’s drinking water infrastructure only achieving a grade of C+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers, it is the responsibility of every water provider – whether that be municipal, rural, or private – to build solutions based on investment and education.
This year, on behalf of the 14 million customers and 18 military bases we serve across the country, American Water is imagining the power of common ground.
Common ground extends from creation of an industry framework for mutual assistance in times of crisis, to parity in the ability to tap state revolving funds, to how we collaborate on the future of our utility workforce.
It also includes robust, uniform cybersecurity fortifications across the water utility industry, and making affordability programs long available to gas and electric customers permanent for low-income water customers too.
Not only is it the right thing for customers and communities, it addresses the unease Americans have about the condition of the water supply and delivery infrastructure – as well as how it will be maintained, and by whom.
The Value of Water index polling shows that over the past six years, there has been an 18% drop in perception that the nation’s water infrastructure is in good condition, with 41% of Americans believing it is in need of repair, replacement, and rehabilitation.
American Water alone plans to invest about $30 billion across its systems and in acquisition opportunities over the next decade. This level of investment allows us to make assets more resilient, replace aging pipes at a faster rate, and deliver solutions to water and wastewater challenges across new communities.
But for policy makers, it is important to view the necessity of these initiatives in the private sector in addition to – not separate from – impactful regulations and policies that encourage investments in reliable service.
The solution to the infrastructure crisis must be a collaborative effort, among all of those that have the power to change it. Imagining what we can do, together, means no one needs to imagine a day without water.
