Visionaries must step forward to advance water infrastructure

May 2020

The current crisis has made clear that access to clean water is closely related to our ability to withstand shocks to the system. Sustainable infrastructure should be a vision we can all get behind.

The past few months have been difficult for everyone. Across the U.S., people from all walks of life are worried about their health and their financial well-being, but I’ve also talked to more and more people over the last few weeks who see past the fear and the doubt.

There’s a growing feeling that this moment in history is an opportunity for significant change.

As leaders look for ways to jumpstart the economy when states begin lifting stay-at-home orders, it’s time to consider investments in sustainable, resilient infrastructure that addresses the needs of communities now, and for decades to come.

Getting beyond table stakes

If the coming years follow the playbook of nearly every economic crisis we’ve seen in the past 80 years, we should expect governments at home and around the world to engage in major infrastructure projects to spur economic activity for long-term recovery. There are many water infrastructure projects that are shovel-ready or close to it, that could encourage immediate economic activity.