Water

by Griffin Beronio & Diana McFarland

What's the Problem?

Updates to deteriorating water system infrastructure are needed in cities across the country. Millions of lead service lines still transport drinking water from water mains into homes and businesses, and are disproportionately concentrated in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. The ongoing water crisis in Flint Michigan serves as a reminder of how improperly maintained lead pipes contaminate water and poison communities. Climate change also introduces new challenges for water systems, including intensified algae blooms, flooding, and droughts.

To best respond to failing infrastructure and environmental emergencies, local leaders must update water utility and stormwater management systems. Improvements to these systems are critical investments in public health, economic growth, and community well-being. And yet, cities must ensure the costs of infrastructure improvements do not impose financial burdens on vulnerable residents. Best practices include removing lead-lined pipes, investing in stormwater infrastructure, and finding creative ways to ensure water affordability.

What are People Currently Doing? 

Local governments should promote Integrated Water Management (IWM) strategies to improve social, environmental, and economic outcomes in their communities. These approaches treat all water flows from wastewater, stormwater, and groundwater as interconnected and include: 

• Surface water conservation to protect drinking water and recreational opportunities. Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Chicago, for example, are committed to preserving the natural water sources through their water protection plans.

• Wastewater reclamation to increase water availability and transform biosolids into profitable products. For example, Los Angeles bolsters its water supply with wastewater recycling programs, and Washington, DC's wastewater treatment plant converts sewage into fertilizer and electricity (see Taking it to the Next Level below).

• Stormwater infrastructure and rainwater harvesting to reduce erosion and flooding, improve water quality, and increase drinking water supply. Seattle, New York, and Tampa use targeted infrastructure investments to strengthen stormwater management capacity. 

American Rivers compiles best practices for IWM at the utility, city and watershed levels. This report from Global Water Partnership spotlights international IWM development practices that can be used in American cities. The Mayors Innovation Project’s brief on IWM for cities and the US Water Alliance also feature many other IWM resources. 

Local officials and utilities managers should collaborate to update infrastructure and minimize rate increases. The Dane County regional water quality plan reduces groundwater pollution, improves service, and establishes water management land use planning. The Mayor’s Innovation Project recommends recovering revenue through facility energy efficiency improvements, usage-based pricing schemes, and impact fees for large development projects. The recent federal infrastructure law provides billions in funding for local water utility upgrades including lead service line replacements, natural water quality improvements, and drinking water source protections. The EPA recommends accessing this funding through state revolving funds and Emporia, KS accessed grants through Kansas’s state revolving fund to upgrade their water treatment plant, contributing to $1 million in savings. This EPA program provides funding to help municipal utilities meet safe drinking water standards. Kenosha’s Live Lead Safe grant program helps homeowners finance lead service line replacements, and has helped replace over 5,000 lead service lines.  

Although infrastructure maintenance and improvement are necessary, local governments must also prioritize affordability for low-income residents. This policy brief from the University of North Carolina outlines best practices for rate-funded customer assistance programs. The National Academy of Public Administration published a comprehensive framework for improving water service affordability, and this report from In the Public Interest outlines how local communities use legal strategies to prevent corporate control of water and sewer authorities. Philadelphia’s Tiered Assistance Program has helped thousands of residents through utility debt forgiveness, income-based reductions in monthly bills, and free water conservation services. Washington D.C.’s multi-family assistance program helps families cover utilities by reducing rent according to their share of their building’s water bill. Cook County, IL allocated federal infrastructure funding toward its Water Affordability Program, which provides water bill relief, leak repair services, and technical assistance for municipalities.

Improving stormwater management is critical to reduce flooding, mitigate runoff pollution, and promote watershed health. Cities should expand green infrastructure that naturally absorbs and filters stormwater without expending energy. Stormwater management strategies should also increase surface permeability by mitigating the use of nonporous materials like cement and asphalt, which cause pollutants to flow into natural water sources and increase the likelihood of flooding. The Center for Neighborhood Technology’s green infrastructure policy toolkit emphasizes reducing impermeable surfaces by building roadside stormwater planters and using porous pavement for new sidewalks and bike lanes. Green roofs also filter stormwater and reduce runoff, mitigate heat island effects, and promote energy efficiency. Cambridge requires large development projects to incorporate green roofs, and Chicago’s zoning policies incentivize their construction. Philadelphia encourages developers to incorporate stormwater capture methods by levying fees for commercial structures with large impermeable surfaces. Older cities with combined sewer systems like Washington D.C. are preventing flooding and sewage overflows with retention tunnels that store stormwater until it can be treated. Milwaukee’s stormwater management strategy includes rain gardens, man-made wetlands, and native landscaping. Cities can also access this federal grant to address “forever chemical” pollutants like PFAs that are commonly found in runoff. 

Conserving water through wastewater reclamation and demand mitigation is another central focus of effective water systems, especially as parts of the country experience extended droughts. This report from MIP highlights water conservation and reuse strategies, including using greywater and captured rainwater for industrial and outdoor uses. Tucson’s Long Range Water Plan outlines conservation strategies including sustainable landscaping requirements, water rate incentives and groundwater pumping limits. Sacramento’s Climate Action Plan includes improving conservation education and developing rainwater harvesting systems. Los Angeles and New York City both monitor their water supplies and promote conservation through use restrictions, leak repairs, and rate incentives. This guide outlines how municipalities can develop pricing structures that encourage water conservation and reduce demand. 

Taking it to the Next Level

Because water treatment processes are so energy intensive, improving infrastructure efficiency can also help localities reduce future costs and promote economic development. Orville, CA cut energy costs by 80 percent and created jobs by installing solar panels at its wastewater treatment plant, and Washington D.C. 's wastewater treatment facility uses thermal hydrolysis to produce electricity and fertilizers. Investments in water infrastructure updates also expand quality employment opportunities: this policy brief from the BlueGreen Alliance outlines how updating aging facilities, installing green infrastructure, and manufacturing new equipment creates green jobs.  

Local governments must equitably distribute the benefits of infrastructure improvements and ensure that developments do not impose hazards on under-resourced communities (for interventions addressing environmental racism see ProGov21’s Climate Resiliency  roadmap). Seattle and Sacramento incorporate community input into their allocation of infrastructure funding, including water utility and stormwater climate adaptation initiatives. Coordinating with stakeholders can prevent hazardous water management infrastructure like retention ponds and sewage treatment plants from being located in historically underserved areas (see ProGov21’s Equity in All Policies and Regional Coordination roadmaps for additional strategies regarding equitable development and stakeholder collaboration). 

Allies, Advocates, and Advisors

• Mayors Innovation Project

• EPA

• In the Public Interest

• Center for Neighborhood Technology

• Sustainable Development Code