Blog

After a devastating year following the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, signs of hope are beginning to shine through. The Alliance convened the Recovering Stronger Midwest Listening Session against the backdrop of the vaccine rollout and the release of the Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan, which includes a historic $111 billion for water infrastructure investment. With the introduction of this plan, the water sector is seeing new partnership emerging at the federal level, after decades of disinvestment.    | More >

March has been a historic month. Almost exactly a year after coronavirus was declared a pandemic, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion relief package that closely mirrored his American Rescue Plan, which he announced on Inauguration day. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 passed in the Senate 50-49, and then in the House 220-211, sending it to President Biden’s desk. A key provision of the relief package is $500 million in one-time water rate assistance, which is on top of the $638 million in water bill debt relief that was included in last  December’s Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.  | More >

As a Black man born and raised in the American South, I cannot divorce the way I have been created from the art that I create; both of which I will always see as beautiful and enduring. It is for that reason, that I am deeply honored to share my inclusion in Grist 50, an annual list of emerging leaders who are working on real-world solutions to our world’s biggest challenges. This acknowledgment of my art and my identity comes at a time when so many of us require a renewal of hope and a radical reimagining of our society. As I reflect on my experience as a creator in a time of hardship, I have reaffirmed the need for art not just in the way we work, but in the way we live and connect with each other. Art can be the way we find ourselves again as we emerge from the past year.  | More >

Each year, 50,000 water utilities across the United States provide customers with a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), reporting on drinking water quality, regulated contaminants such as lead or arsenic found in the water, and any water violations. But many CCRs are out of touch with what consumers need to understand their water and whether it is safe to drink. Fortunately, through better communication about water quality, utilities can build trust with consumers, gain consumers’ support for investments in their water infrastructure, and then ideally provide better water. | More >