Water leaders from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C. on September 10 to invite the federal government to join them in investing the hundreds of billions of dollars required to strengthen the nation’s water infrastructure – helping bolster America’s workforce and sharpen the nation’s competitive edge. AMWA, as a member of the Value of Water Coalition, was a cohost of the event, which highlighted the contributions water utilities make to jobs and the economy.
According to new research from the Water Research Foundation and the Water Environment Research Foundation released the day before the Capitol Hill event (see next article), 30 large U.S. water and wastewater utilities from around the country will invest $233 billion over the next decade and will generate more than half a trillion dollars in U.S. economic output.
The day of activities, conducted under the “Water Works!” banner, included a morning press conference at the Capitol featuring long-time water infrastructure supporters Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife, and Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) and Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY), chair and ranking member respectively of the of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
At an afternoon Congressional briefing, water executives including Emily Lloyd, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, shared success stories on how water infrastructure projects are putting people to work and growing local and regional economies.
Other co-hosts of the events included the American Society of Civil Engineers, Building America’s Future, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, National Urban League and U.S. Conference of Mayors – a range of organizations that demonstrates widespread recognition of the economic importance of the water sector.
To find more information on Water Works! visit www.waterworkscampaign.org.