AGC Working to Ensure Substantial Water Infrastructure Investment in Stimulus

The nation is focused on getting the economy back on track and an important component of the economic stimulus package is substantial investment in our national water infrastructure. When Congress returns in January one the top issues they will tackle is a stimulus package with a substantial infrastructure component. AGC has been working to educate Congress and the incoming Administration with the help of our industry allies such as APWA, AWWA , NACWA and the WIN Coalition. AGC is working with our partners to obtain and share data on water and wastewater projects that are ready to go which will provide much needed jobs in this time of financial uncertainty. AGC Chief Executive Officer recently met with the Obama transition team and in this meeting he stressed the substantial need for infrastructure investment including the substantial needs for water infrastructure. Sandherr cited studies by the Environmental Protection Agency and AGC partner the WIN Coalition stating that there are estimated needs between $450-600 billion over the next 20 years. The AGC team continues to meet with congressional staff and allies to articulate water infrastructure needs and educate the public and lawmakers about the benefits of infrastructure investment. Click here to view the AGC White Paper "The Pivotal Role of Federal Infrastructure in Our Economy". The good news is that you can play an important role in ensuring that water infrastructure is included in the next stimulus package by writing your Representatives and Senators on the AGC Legislative Action Center. Click here to write your elected officials now and tell them to invest in our water infrastructure! AGC members and chapters have another important tool for raising awareness of water infrastructure needs in the Penn State Public broadcasting documentary Liquid Assets. AGC provided major funding for this documentary which can be used to raise awareness of water infrastructure needs. Liquid Assets has been on the air 65 times since in major media markets across the country since October 1, 2008. Visit the AGC Liquid Assets website to learn about this documentary and take action. If Liquid Assets has not been on PBS in your community take action. We have provided AGC Chapters with tools to ensure that Liquid Assets gets on local stations. This is not the only way to deliver the message of Liquid Assets. Think about venues where you can be a water infrastructure activist including inviting state and local officials to your own screening at an AGC meeting or City Council meetings. During the Obama Administration and in the 111^th Congress AGC anticipates that the benefits of investment in water infrastructure will be fully realized. Water infrastructure provides valuable and necessary public health and safety function and long term environmental benefits and AGC will fight to make sure that adequate investments are made to meet our national water infrastructure needs. AGC has been working with our Allies to ensure that Congress knows that there are water infrastructure projects that will provide immediate jobs and much needed investment. Here are some quick facts about water infrastructure and the economic stimulus: National Conference of Mayors - 154 cities have identified a total of 4,645 infrastructure projects costing a total of $25,110,099,786 ($25 billion) that would create 261,652 jobs in metro areas. This includes a total of 910 Water and Wastewater Infrastructure projects costing a total of $4,287,698,962 ($4.3 billion) that would create 34,612 jobs. http://www.usmayors.org/ American Public Works Association (APWA) - The Ready to Go survey identified 3,636 public works projects in localities, with a funding need totaling more than $15.4 billion. Funding these projects, just a sample of the identified local need, would generate approximately 532,794 jobs. http://www.apwa.net American Water Works Association (AWWA) - Based on the information on projects that AWWA member utilities have told us about, and then extrapolating that to the greater universe of 52,000 public water systems, we believe that there are about $10 billion in drinking water infrastructure projects ready to go in 120 days. http://www.awwa.org National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) - NACWA sent a letter Oct. 15 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid detailing the need for increased federal assistance and providing a list of NACWA public agency projects that are ready-to-go. The approximately $3 billion in projects is a small percentage of all of those around the country, which NACWA estimates at more than $10 billion. The recommended $10 billion investment in wastewater infrastructure would create over 400,000 solid, much-needed new jobs. http://www.nacwa.org/. Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA) and the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators (ASWIPCA) - "...a recent survey by the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities and the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators identified $9.12 billion in ready-to-go Clean Water State Revolving Fund projects in 25 states that cannot be funded within existing appropriation levels." For additional information and learn how you can get involved contact Perry L. Fowler, Director of the AGC Municipal & Utilities Division at fowlerp@agc.org or (703)837-5321.