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Every community – big and small, rural and urban – relies on water. Water is a public health and sanitation issue, as well as economic, agricultural, and recreational issue. No community can thrive without access to water. While most people in the United States can access water without concerns about its safety or affordability, many communities struggle daily to access clean, safe, affordable water.

Of the approximately 150,000 public water systems in the United States, more than 97 percent serve small communities of 10,000 or fewer people. Smaller communities and the smaller water systems that serve them have unique challenges and perspectives, as well as valuable relationships and a collaborative spirit that can serve every community well during a crisis. On a national level, leaders need to embrace that attitude and work to ensure every community – whether it has a population of a hundred or a hundred thousand - has access to safe, affordable, and reliable water. | More >

April was a tumultuous month in DC. With the passage of Phase 3 of the federal government’s relief efforts in the ongoing COVID-19 crisis at the end of March, focus turned to what would be next. Early in the month, discussions for an infrastructure focused Phase 4 started to heat up. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) discussed the House Democrats’ targets, which included passing a large infrastructure package. The basis for this was to be the sweeping $760 billion infrastructure framework unveiled in January by House Democrats. This framework included more than $75 billion combined for clean water and drinking water infrastructure programs. Also included is a new funding vehicle, called the Low-Income Household Drinking Water Wastewater Assistance Program, that would give states and tribes the ability to obtain grants to assist low-income households in paying their drinking water and wastewater utility bills. Funded at $1.5 billion, the new program is modeled after the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also called for an infrastructure bill "but it has to be big, bold, pro-worker, and green." | More >

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 >

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 >