Blog

The Austin Central Library in Austin, Texas has gotten its fair share of hype – so much hype, in fact, that it was included on the Time’s 2018 list of the World’s 100 Greatest Places. And while its rooftop garden, Tetris-like stairways, elevated walkways and collection of 500,000 books are certainly awe-worthy, it’s something else entirely that has our attention. | More >

May 13^th through 20^th is National Infrastructure Week. As your local wastewater agency, HRSD is responsible for conveying and treating about 150 million gallons of wastewater from 18 communities in Southeastern Virginia every day. This effort is highly dependent on infrastructure although much of it is out of sight. In fact, wastewater infrastructure often goes unnoticed because most of it is located underground. The wastewater we send down our sinks, tubs and toilets disappears without much effort on our part, so it’s easy to overlook the intricate infrastructure needed to get the job done. HRSD operates and maintain more than 500 miles of pipes below the surface that carry wastewater away from homes and businesses to the 16 wastewater treatment plants we operate in the region. HRSD uses the fees paid by local ratepayers to make major investments in the collection and treatment of sewer infrastructure in our region. | More >

Becoming climate resilient is about so much more than recovering from or preparing for the latest natural disaster. No doubt about it, devastating events like Hurricane Harvey reignite public fervor to push for funding and programs to build more resilient communities. Pundits and policymakers alike clamber to understand who needs emergency relief, how and when the community can rebuild, how everyone should prepare for the next storm, and the associated price tag of these efforts.  | More >

People are talking about infrastructure more frequently—certainly more often than just a single week out of the year. Peruse our Water Street archives, listen to our Wavelengths podcast series or visit one of our sites—there’s no escaping conversations on water infrastructure. This topic has also become a staple in economic and political news, classroom discussions, community planning and so on. Moreover, once initiatives such as Infrastructure Week got off the ground, the conversations started to be paired with action. Communities, governments, advocates and activists are not just talking but doing something to bring attention to the issue, garner support for critical funding and support communities in short- and long-term plans to repair and replace aging infrastructure. Again, all of this demonstrates that the initiatives are working.  | More >