Water, Sewage & Effluent March-April 2017 | Page 20

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The right USD1-trillion infrastructure plan for America

Democrats and President Trump both want to improve the nation ’ s infrastructure . To do so , the key would be to prioritise the needs of the people and the environment — not the pockets of investors and industry CEOs .

American cities and towns have a major problem . They rely on ageing and crumbling bridges , water and sewer systems , power plants , and electricity grids that cannot meet today ’ s needs , much less tomorrow ’ s .

They have ignored the existing infrastructure and , as a result , tens of millions of Americans drink water contaminated by deteriorating pipes or outdated treatment plants , and many more get their water from systems operating well past their safety limits . Almost everyone knows of roads , bridges , and public buildings in their communities that are crumbling . Almost everyone faces the uncertainty of power failures as the frequency of extreme storms increases . These are life-threatening issues .
Any new infrastructure plan should :
• Reinvest in the communities and reduce the gap between the richest and the poorest to provide all people the opportunity to live vital and healthy lives .
• Invest in a twenty-first century clean energy infrastructure that emphasises power from renewable sources , energy efficiency , and improved service .
• Support the construction of resilient systems that are sited , designed , and built to tolerate increasingly frequent instances of extreme weather , including damaging storms , floods , droughts , and heat waves .
• Eliminate lead in the nation ’ s drinking water systems and ensure the delivery of safe and affordable water from the source to the tap by 2030 .
• Protect the natural resources and wildlands for the future , recognising their importance to the nation ’ s legacy as both environmental and recreational assets .
18 Water Sewage & Effluent March / April 2017