Leading water organisations in the United States (U.S.) have gathered in the capital city, Washington, D.C., to call on Congress and the Trump Administration to increase investment in water resources, specifically water infrastructure and research, as well as to elevate water as a national priority.
Hundreds of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater leaders and professionals, all representing the largest water organisations in the country, have taken to Capitol Hill for the duration of Water Week 2018 – April 15 to 21 – to meet with lawmakers to advocate for national policies that advance clean, safe, affordable and sustainable water.
Water sector organisations are calling on Congress to:
- Double the funding for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Loan Funds
- Pass legislation to reauthorise and boost funding for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
- Increase funding for the National Priorities Water Research Grant programme to US$20 million
- Strengthen protection of the nation’s waters in the 2018 Farm Bill
- Increase funding for USDA’s rural water/wastewater loan and grant programme
- Increase funding for the Bureau of Reclamation’s water recycling programme to US$60 million
Water Week 2018 comes as the nation’s water resources and systems face growing challenges that include aging infrastructure, increased water quality concerns, workforce shortages, and climate change impacts. These challenges have been visible in recent events, such as the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, harmful algal blooms in Ohio and Florida, severe drought conditions in California, and hurricane impacts in Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Puerto Rico.
