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A Principled Approach to Post-Pandemic Utility Consolidation

Emily Simonson, Senior Manager, Strategy and Special Projects, US Water Alliance | April 15, 2020

Coronavirus is shining a big, bright light on disparities that existed long before the pandemic. We see disparities in health risks and mortality, hospital capacity, and who gets to keep their job. At the Alliance, we also see disparities in which water systems can most effectively adopt emergency measures to keep essential operations running smoothly and safely in this unprecedented context.   | More >

COVID-19 Relief and Recovery: Guiding Principles to Secure Our Water Future

Radhika Fox, CEO, US Water Alliance | April 7, 2020

Read the COVID-19 Relief and Recovery: Guiding Principles to Secure Our Water Future.  | More >

Washington Update

Scott Berry, Director of Policy and Government Affairs, US Water Alliance | March 31, 2020

After days of negotiation, Republicans and Democrats agreed on a compromise package of relief related to the COVID-19 crisis. After a harrowing 24 hours where Senators from both parties threatened to object to the package before ultimately passing it, and where members of the House similarly threatened to hold up passage in that chamber, the bill was ultimately passed and signed by the president. While this was happening, the weekly unemployment report was released, indicating that a record 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment.  | More >

Strategies for Bringing Water and Sanitation Access to the Most Vulnerable: Congressional Briefing

Zoë Roller, Program Manager, US Water Alliance | March 24, 2020

 

“It’s the 21st century and there are still people in America who have to haul water in each morning and haul wastewater out every night.”

Communities living without access to water and sanitation—more than two million people in the United States—have known for decades that water access is critical to public health. Without basic services, communities are more vulnerable to a range of health risks, from water-borne infections to diabetes. Now, as the nation faces Covid-19, the need for safe, clean water in every home is more urgent than ever. Access to basic services is the foundation for building community resilience to crises.

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World Water Day 2020: Community Resilience in a Time of (Climate) Crisis

Katy Lackey and Zoe Roller, Senior Program Managers, US Water Alliance | March 23, 2020

While moving in vastly different ways and on different time scales, there are the ghostly similarities between the climate crisis and the coronavirus. The unfolding response to the current public health crisis begs some questions about our far slower, less urgent response to the climate crisis. Are we willing to take proactive measures to forestall the crises already devastating some communities? Do we recognize the impacts already here? How are we helping those most vulnerable? Will we act swiftly, dramatically, and in coordination to mitigate the worst yet to come?

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Value of Water Co-Hosts Presidential Candidate Forum on Infrastructure

Radhika Fox, CEO, US Water Alliance | February 28, 2020

Five years ago, I became Director of the Value of Water Campaign. When I talked to people across the water sector about what the Value of Water should focus on, I’d often hear some variation on: “The infrastructure dialogue is always roads and bridges. What about water?”  

With much of our water and sewer infrastructure hiding below ground, water is often out-of-sight and out-of-mind. It’s hard to do a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new water main. As a result, water is often left out of the conversation about infrastructure, even though our water and sewer systems face the same problems with age, underinvestment, and new climate threats that our roads and bridges face.

The Value of Water Campaign set about to change that. We sought out partners and allies to help us elevate water in the infrastructure conversation. We joined with newly found partners to co-create messages and high-impact events that included water. And a few weeks ago, we co-hosted the first ever Presidential Candidate Forum on Infrastructure. I sat in the ballroom listening to four presidential candidates outline their infrastructure visions, and they all talked at length about water. Water was the star of the show! Water wasn’t out of site and out of mind anymore. | More >

Beginning the One Water Journey in Charlotte County

Claire Jubb, Community Development Director, Charlotte County Community Development | February 26, 2020

For the new year, the Board of County Commissioners made water quality a top priority to improve drinking water and water in the harbor, canals, and rivers. On Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, Charlotte County, Florida took its first step toward a One Water journey.

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Water Equity Taskforce Highlights Accomplishments and Looks to the Future at Capstone Exchange in Camden

Kara Butler, Program Associate, US Water Alliance | January 29, 2020

The Water Equity Taskforce’s capstone convening took place last week in Camden, NJ. This gathering of 80 utility, community and environmental nonprofit, city government, and philanthropy partners concluded the Alliance’s two-year collaborative project with seven cities (Atlanta, Buffalo, Camden, Cleveland, Louisville, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh). City teams shared insights from their partnerships and progress towards building equitable approaches to water management and discussed their commitments and plans for expanding water equity in their cities and throughout the country. | More >

Six Essential Leadership Capacities Report

Katy Lackey, Program Manager, US Water Alliance | January 29, 2020

We All Can Be One Water Leaders. Here’s How. | More >

Water 2020

Katie Henderson, Program Manager, US Water Alliance | January 29, 2020

The Value of Water Campaign is so proud to be a part of an outstanding group of labor unions and associations to host the first-ever convening of presidential candidates to discuss issues surrounding America’s infrastructure. This event has been months in the making, and we couldn’t be more excited to share the news. Gathering all the leading presidential candidates together to hear their plans for America’s infrastructure and ask questions about all the most important challenges facing our pipes, ports, roads, and rails is going to be a great opportunity to put infrastructure – and water infrastructure – in the national spotlight.  | More >