The 2016 election season has concluded and we congratulate president-elect Donald Trump. We know that that the President-Elect is meeting with his transition team to discuss priorities for the 45th Presidency and preparing to take office in January.
At the US Water Alliance we’re pleased that infrastructure has emerged as a tie that binds our nation together—and that policymakers across the political spectrum are recognizing that there can be bipartisan collaboration on infrastructure investments.
We urge the Trump administration to make water a cornerstone of any infrastructure plan. We are at an important inflection point when it comes to water in America. We have water quality issues, including toxic algae blooms in lakes and waterways across the country, and water quantity issues, from drought to flooding in different regions. And water infrastructure across the country is aging and at-risk—each of these challenges put communities at risk and combined they have put our country at risk.
Recognizing the need to develop and drive a water infrastructure agenda, the US Water Alliance established the One Water for America Listening Sessions. The Alliance is convening 14 listening sessions across the country—from Seattle to Chicago to Miami—with community leaders who best understand the unique water challenges and opportunities facing their regions. The US Water Alliance will work with the stakeholders from the sessions to produce and deliver a recommendations report that articulates a national policy framework for federal, state, and local policy-makers. The foundation of the report will be grounded in: promoting robust funding and financing options for water infrastructure projects; maintaining safe and affordable access to water in communities that face economic challenges; encouraging ingenuity and technology in water treatment and managementand rewarding regional collaboration that leads to the sustainable management of our water resources. We hope this framework is able to offer the Administration guidance for dealing with acute water issues as they begin crafting a national infrastructure plan.
You can find more information about the One Water for America Listening Sessions here. And if you want to help send a message to our elected officials that investing in our nation’s water infrastructure should be a priority, sign the Value of Water Campaign’s petition here. We currently have 1,498 signatures and each and every one tells our elected officials that there is a growing demand for action to ensure that our water infrastructure is safe and reliable for all Americans.
