Written by: Tanvi Nagpal; Rania Bashar; Reshet Gebremariam
In addition to the 2.2 million Americans without safe water and sanitation in their homes, millions more regularly face service shut-offs either due to breakages or because of non-payment of bills. Households in areas outside administrative and service boundaries struggle to maintain private systems. Historic disinvestment in majority of African American cities, and decades of underinvestment in water infrastructure, have led to near collapse of many systems. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act, passed by the United States government, is a historic opportunity to reinvest in water, especially in underinvested communities. These communities need significant assistance to prioritize appropriate investments, apply for available funding, and identify implementation partners. If this does not happen, the inequalities in access will be worsened. Coalitions of technical assistance providers and community-based organizations can help by identifying and matching providers with appropriate funding streams in the short term, while building their capacity to apply for larger federal funds. However, capital investment is only the first step toward equity. It is crucial that water and sewer rates be adjusted to account for household income, and service providers who serve large under-resourced areas receive long-term assistance for operation and maintenance of valuable assets.