The Time is Now to Invest in Western Water Infrastructure

Commentary: The coronavirus crisis reminds those of us in the water world of the importance of the systems which sustain us.

Our water systems are among the very most important. The need for effective planning, preparation and implementation of water policy and infrastructure is critical, as we manage the engines which drive our economy, our health and our safety. It is most certainly a primary focus of the Western water community, which develops and manages the water infrastructure so critical to every individual and every economic sector.

Our organizations and other industry leaders have long anticipated the potential crisis if we fail to invest soon in the aging systems which store and deliver water for safe drinking, for agriculture production and for industry. We will face another crisis if we fail to invest in new water storage infrastructure to save water for use in dry years. Years of recurring drought conditions in Western states, and the economic and human impacts of drought, require us to look ahead.

But as we have seen in the health crisis of the spring of 2020, anticipation on paper isn’t enough. We must prepare, and we must invest. An investment in water infrastructure is […]

Full article: The Time is Now to Invest in Western Water Infrastructure