AWRA Policy Statements

Ensuring Sustainable Funding for Water-Resource Infrastructure
Approved by The Board of Directors of the American Water Resources Association at their January 22-23, 2010 meeting, as proposed by the Policy Technical Committee of AWRA 

Position Statement: The American Water Resources Association recommends that policy makers at national, tribal, state, and local levels develop sustainable investment strategies for the construction and maintenance of water- and wastewater-resources infrastructure to protect public health, quality of life, communities, economies, and the environment.

Issue: Since Dr. John Snow first conducted experiments in the mid 1800s, tracing the outbreak of cholera to a contaminated community water pump in London, public health officials have understood the value of well-functioning and well-maintained water and wastewater infrastructure.
In more recent times, The American Society of Civil Engineers has given barely passing grades to the nation's water and wastewater infrastructure, noting in 2005 that the nation's 54,000 drinking water systems face an annual shortfall of $11 billion to replace aging facilities that are nearing the end of their useful life. New infrastructure projects are increasingly falling out of favor with the public because of the rights-of-way and environmental issues they pose. However, a vast amount of the nation's water infrastructure requires immediate attention and it is critical that policymakers develop the investment strategies needed to meet existing, as well as future infrastructure needs.

Rationale: While the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package may provide much needed funds to jump-start many of these projects, our long-term infrastructure needs represent a much greater monetary investment and will require on-going sources of dedicated funding from all levels of government to adequately meet the nation's water resources needs.