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<br />."t. \Voller Infrastructure Needs and Promising Strategies for l\1ccting Them
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<br />Al\t\~ and ~;I(...ty. ;IS vol'll as jobs, ~-conoll1ies an.1 ";t[ural !"t'-
<br />!ooutcC's would Ix- put ,ll n~k. \\ithoul the rt'sllienc}'
<br />providc:"t] hy our present in(r.lSlnICfUn-. Wl' \l,:ould h.: .11
<br />the.- mcrcyofnllTUraJ dis;lS!('rJ;.
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<br />The (utun: "''TOWlh Jnd prospcrit} of the \X'cst Je-
<br />lX'nlls on our aJ.,.jn~ v..llt:r-n:larl'd infrastructure: ltlms
<br />ami rt''\l'r\"OITS; Jl'\'t"es; plpdint's; pumpiOj.: pb.ms; hy
<br />droclcclrlc power pl.lnts: AqUI"t!UrlS, can,l.ls, I:unah.
<br />and dr-uns; water and waSlewatt'f trl:;llml'nt pl.lnts;
<br />Slomlwafl'r man:lgl'nlrnt works and liTher 1:lClli,i\'s 10
<br />control and m;ln:lJ.tt" the Wall"r (hal SUpp""S our rn--
<br />'t'n! way or Ilk .\Iuch of Ihis IOfras{n1cnm: IS l'IC'ing
<br />used I'l('YOllll its engiOl"Crnl tll'slgn !1ft', :lIld somc p;ins
<br />suffn from tilt" Impa<:ts of tlcfcrrt't.l m;Unlcn;lnce,
<br />.\!uch uf tht' inir,\slrunurc was pul mlo place prior Iu
<br />t'n.lCtmeru o( ITlfl\krn s'lft,t}', S('"cunlr and environ-
<br />memal rl'quirl'l1lf:ms, ,,-nd ul"'Io\r'ltlt's 10 these facilities or
<br />chan~t'!i in Ihc:lr cope:ralinn m<1}' 1)[' IltTdl"tl,o confflnn
<br />IU appropn,"",- nalur,ll n'!iources slt'wardship pnnciplcs
<br />and mee! nc:w tlt'm.lntb n:bted In p<'PUI.IIIl>ll ~rllwth,
<br />ruralllcn.I"pmt'nl, emlf('nlneTllal reslllUli'lIl, chanjot,
<br />m~ SUUt'I;11 ,,,lllt"S anti n:l!lon:ll St'eunl}' Ihreals,
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<br />.\Iuch fit our mtr:lstruC!uft. IS inadt"tJu:llc dUt, 10
<br />. f"Tul,"i'1I1 gn,wth, water qU'ihl\" n'''lUln'~wms and
<br />s.lk~ thre'l!s nfll .lrlllrll',ltt"tl al Ihe tlme 01 Its c1esl)o.,'1l
<br />ami CnnslrUrtl\lll, Ree!csl!-:nmg, rdl\.lIldlllK 'lI1d re.
<br />"IlC.T<1lint: puhlic 1Illr;tslruclure \\111 be: cflstly and chal-
<br />kn!-:II1!-:, p.lnKubrly W\TIl Ih.' fart Ih;;1 IllUS! ,,( It W,IS
<br />limit hy nuny difii:rent 'lJ.:c'nric!i at alllt'\'e1s oi gu\"crn-
<br />I1WIll with '""nuus dl.lrt:cs. II is es'\c:nti,t1lh.l1 .lgennt'"'\
<br />wflrk clIopc:nlJ\"dy 'lIld "SI1\;nler" tn nl;lilluin fhal
<br />JIlfr.1Slructure 'lIld 10 n_p;lIld II In mtTI pn-SCIll ;JIld
<br />future neetls. The conM'llul'nct's of f'liling '0 m,Um,lI11
<br />our pn'sem 1ll\'l:SlllIt'm III lIlfraslructurt' and addre-.,s
<br />our iutuft' w"ter needs ,In- un,l(.l"t'plahlc, Public hC:lhh
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<br />Funhcrmore, as a S<lCit'IY, wc h;l\'(' also tldim'tl
<br />"a.,it' human righl" 10 lIldude ;Kcess to c1nn and safe-
<br />drinkin~ w;uer, WASll'wafer Irealml:nl, Ilood anti
<br />drought prOfITlion, and olher waler-rd"tt'd puhlic
<br />goods alltl lien'in's. Prmidin~ tht'St, in an cffioenl and
<br />affordahle manner can he chJlk'l1~n~, cspl:1:iaJJy 1II
<br />ruml and l'cunomicaJly tlisad\"anl'lJ':t'l:l areas, but Ihe
<br />failure to do so can Icad to ~re;m'r ruhlic health ml.s,
<br />t'Cl>IlI.mic sl:I!o.'1lali'lIl, ell\'irunmenlal ll('graltui'lIl, t'!C"
<br />Abo, mdi\"lduals lef, III ml'C'l !heir own nl'cds Ihrnugh
<br />piecemeal pri\';Ul' dt'\-c1opml'llf, such ;IS llonlt:slic wa"
<br />It'r wells, scpuc sy.,wms, pn\"ale d'lllls antI k\'tTS .m.!
<br />lllher works, han: no inct'nfl\"c 10 c"nsitler Ihlrd-parry
<br />IlllpaCls"
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<br />l:nllcrfunding nl:cdnl c;lplul Impron'nWnls is ;l
<br />chronic pr"hle'lll t1ut Slates ;lnd 10c;;1 K"\'t"rnmt'll!S ~11l
<br />h;l\.t, III crc;lti\"dy ad.lress, timlill); W:iys to tinance- Ih..!r
<br />waler reLut,cJ miusltunuR' ntTlh, with or wllhoUI
<br />ink:r:d as'IStance, .\Ict'un,g our currt'nt antI futurt'
<br />m(....\stnKtun. Ilf:nls will rt"ljUlrt' a long-leon puhlic and
<br />pri\"att' tin;lIlcial commllmt'nl ,U 111 kwh, and public
<br />l'duc:t!lon te,l':anling lhe n.1ut' ui walt'r :IS hOlh ;I puhlic
<br />anti priv'lll' ~CJnd, Iht, n.lue of Wall"r rdarnl :\en-ices,
<br />;Ippropn.lle \\";lIl'r pncing, anll thc rl\:t'l:l (or c"pu'll
<br />hud)o.,,"unK In some caM'S, clln!"olid,UI<l1l of pres..1It
<br />sl'n"ices m'l~ ;dlnw communi!it,,, 10 sh;trc ClpiLtI fl"
<br />sources alld fnlucc opc:r.llion and m;lllllt"n'Inc."e CIlSIS
<br />associa"...1 Wllh walcr rebled mfrastructure. Funher,
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<br />"Underfunding needed capital improvements is a chronic
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<br />problem that Slates and local governments will have to
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<br />creatively address. finding ways to finance their water-related
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<br />infrastructure needs. with or without federal assistance,"
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