Investment in infrastructure saves money, helps all consumers
When the municipal water system in Jackson, Mississippi, failed in 2022, it left 170,000 residents with dry taps, shocking the nation. In the context of water infrastructure in the United States, however, it should not have come as a great surprise. A quarter of a century ago, the American Water Works Association warned of a coming “Replacement Era” when a century’s worth of aging pipes and water infrastructure would reach the end of its service life, and the U.S. is in that era now.
While the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has made the largest water infrastructure investment in history, the law’s capital outlay pales in comparison to the need. With funding already hard to secure, Jackson has a long history of water infrastructure neglect and underfunding that has affected its low-income and marginalized communities, and municipalities across the nation are in the same boat.
Jackson is both a microcosm of and a cautionary tale for municipalities that wish to address disparities in water access for all their citizens. How can municipalities achieve water equity before a crisis strikes?
Invest in Infrastructure
While water infrastructure repairs, upgrades, and replacements can be costly, acting before there is a crisis can save municipalities from catastrophic expenses. The build-neglect-rebuild cycle often develops when infrastructure neglect causes a loss of trust, and then funding for repairs becomes difficult to secure.
For lower-income municipalities, the cycle can be especially destructive because replacing infrastructure that fails before its time can cost far more than the timely maintenance that would have kept it in service. How much more? One study says that the cost of inaction may be five times higher than addressing water risk before a crisis develops. Jackson stands as a reminder of the consequences of failure to prioritize investment for underserved communities.
Affordability Programs, Engagement, Public Awareness
Establishing water affordability programs such as subsidies, sliding-scale fees, and forgiveness programs for overdue water bills can ensure that everyone has access to clean water. Because the application process for such programs can deter access, the most robust programs present fewer barriers, simplify the programs for utilities, and make enrollment easier.
Utilities should establish programs with community input and in consultation with organizations that represent lower-income communities. Community engagement with public meetings, surveys, and partnerships with advocacy groups can be the key to success of water equity efforts because it leads to a better understanding of the needs and concerns of those who will use the programs.
Further, educating the public about water conservation, the importance of clean water, and how to use water efficiently can reduce overall water consumption, thereby conserving water for everyone.
Finding Other Water Sources
Exploring alternative water sources such as rainwater harvesting, water recycling, and decentralized treatment systems can make more water available. Newer approaches paired with newer water treatment technologies can provide significant water without tapping more contentious resources such as surface water and groundwater. With reuse, water treated to nonpotable standards can be used for activities like street cleaning and park irrigation that do not require the highest quality water, thereby conserving costly drinking water for drinking.
Implementing policies that prioritize water equity and protect vulnerable communities from water shutoffs can make a significant difference. This includes regulations that prevent water utilities from disconnecting service because of nonpayment.
Collaboration and Partnerships
Working with federal, state, and local agencies, along with nonprofit organizations and the private sector, can help municipalities access funding and resources to address access disparities. While a great deal of funding under the infrastructure law is still available, many municipalities may fall through the cracks or face highly complex projects that can take years or even decades to break ground.
Water companies in the private sector often can help fill in the funding gap and expedite infrastructure delivery for municipalities with limited access to capital. With newer contract models such as build-own-operate, municipal agencies that partner with the right provider can slash or eliminate CAPEX as well as tie in long-term operations and maintenance to remove burdens on organizational resources.
The Role of Water-as-a-Service® in Expanding Access
Seven Seas Water Group has designed Water-as-a-Service® (WaaS®) to streamline water infrastructure delivery by bringing all aspects of the deal under one roof, including financing, design and planning, engineering, construction, and long-term O&M.
Flexible WaaS® structures available include build-own-operate, build-own-operate-transfer, leasing, and plant acquisitions. That can remove water management burdens for a municipality and replace them with an easily budgeted bill and no surprise costs. WaaS® leaves no room for the build-neglect-rebuild cycle through its performance-based contracts that keep operations and maintenance on regular schedules.
Case Study: Public-Private Partnership for Water Equity
While Trinidad has no shortage of fossil fuel, fresh water has historically been a problem.
On the oil-rich island of Trinidad, water reached the taps of Point Fortin area households only one day a week as drought gripped the region. While the Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (WASA) did not have easy access to capital for a much-needed desalination plant, the agency partnered with Seven Seas to fast-track delivery with an innovative WaaS® agreement that required no upfront capital investment. In only 14 months, residents had water service all day, every day.
Seven Seas has designed its offerings with water equity in mind. Once water management is willing to investigate opportunities outside the traditional design-bid-build project model, there is no reason the United Nations sustainable development goal of water for all cannot be achieved ─ from Trinidad to Jackson and beyond. Contact Seven Seas to find out how WaaS® works toward water equity.
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