Water leaders from across the country met in Washington, D.C. in April to make the business case for water infrastructure investment during the National Water Infrastructure Summit. Organized by the Water for Jobs campaign (of which AMWA is a partner), the summit raised awareness about the need for resilient water infrastructure and how reinvestment in water creates jobs, drives innovation and safeguards public health.
A panel of water leaders addressed the issue: without attention, failing infrastructure could result in more disruptions of service and threats to public health, the economy, the environment and quality of life. Rather than continuing to borrow from the future to fix the problems of today, DC Water General Manager George Hawkins urged everyone to work together to find solutions. The water sector essentially creates all jobs, he said, because without adequate water and wastewater services you can’t have growth and development.
Howard Neukrug, Commissioner, Philadelphia Water Department, said that failure is not an option, and a solid plan going forward is needed. Public awareness remains a challenge, and for Harlan Kelly, Jr., General Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, it took an earthquake to gain his community’s attention. Carter Strickland, Commissioner, New York City of Environmental Protection, believes it’s a matter of tapping into reality by looking at what people value and showing how that connects to water.
COMPLETE SUMMIT DETAILS, INCLUDING A LINK TO THE LIVESTREAM RECORDING, ARE ONLINE AT www.WaterforJobs.org.