JOHN: FOR NEARLY A WEEK EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE SIXTH LARGEST CITY AND ONE OF THE WORLD’S WEALTHIEST NATION TOLD RESIDENTS TO BOIL THE TAPWATER BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE CONTAMINATED.
THAT CITY WAS ATLANTA.
UNITED STATES DRINKING WATER IS AMONG THE WORLD’S SAFEST AND MOST RELIABLE, BUT AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE IS POSING CHALLENGES.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS ESTIMATES THAT THERE’S A WATER MAIN BREAK EVERY TWO MINUTES.
EARLIER, I SPOKE WITH SHANNON MARQUEZ, PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND ASKED WHY THESE PROBLEMS ARE SO COMMON IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> THERE ARE A COMBINATION OF THINGS HAPPENING.
AGING INFRASTRUCTURE FROM YEARS OF NEGLECT, UNDERFINANCED SYSTEMS, AND HAVING TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE MORE LIKE BAND-AID APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING CHALLENGES AS OPPOSED TO COMPREHENSIVE REHABILITATION.
THAT, COUPLED WITH WHAT WE ARE SEEING WITH EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE, ARE REALLY PUTTING OUR WATER SYSTEMS IN JEOPARDY.
MANY OF THESE SYSTEMS WERE CONSTRUCTED FOR A CAPACITY THAT IS REALLY OUTGROWN NOW AT THIS POINT.
JOHN: WHY THE NEGLECT, WHY THE BAND-AID APPROACH?
IS IT OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND?
>> IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TO OVERHAUL THESE SYSTEMS, THE AMOUNT OF FINANCE, THE REALITY IS THAT WATER UTILITIES ARE FACED WITH JUST BEING ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY CAN.
PATCH THE HOLES AS THEY COME, PATCH THE MAIN BREAKS AS THEY COME, AND THERE’S NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES.
IT REALLY IS GOING TO REQUIRE FEDERAL LEVEL EFFORTS.
AND ALTHOUGH WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, IT’S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO REALLY OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES.
ONE OF THE OTHER CHALLENGES IS THE DIVERSITY OF WATER SYSTEMS.
THE REALITY IS THAT THE GOVERNANCE AND REGULATIONS AROUND PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS VERSUS COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS.
THERE IS JUST A HUGE ARRAY OF REGULATIONS AND THE STRUCTURE OF THAT MAKES IT VERY INEFFICIENT.
SO THE REALITY IS, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE AND THE AGE OF IT, THERE ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS.
THERE IS NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
JOHN: HOW MUCH WOULD IT TAKE TO REALLY FIX THE SYSTEM?
IS IT MORE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO IT, OR IS IT THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE THIS SORT OF CONFEDERATION OF LOCAL INDEPENDENT WATER SYSTEMS?
>> THERE’S GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS NEED WITH THIS FUNDING GAP.
THE $55 BILLION SET ASID NOT ENOUGH.
PARTIALLY BECAUSE WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT NEW APPROACHES .
CONNECTING THESE NODES.
THERE ARE SOMETHING LIKE 50 OR 60,000 INDEPENDENT WATER SYSTEMS IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE REALITY IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE GROWTH AND BEING MORE EFFICIENT, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO CONNECT THEM SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ALSO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES.
IT’S GOING TO TAKE FAR MORE AS WELL BECAUSE WE DON’T EVEN HAVE THE DATA.
WE DON’T ACTUALLY HAVE THE INFORMATION TO KNOW WHAT ALL THE CHALLENGES ARE.
WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS JUST REACTING.
JOHN: ARE THERE WAYS TO GET AROUND THE PROBLEM OF, AS YOU SAY, IN POOR COMMUNITIES, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IS THERE , A WAY TO GET AROUND THAT SO THAT THE FUNDING OR THE SUPPORT IS A LITTLE MORE EVEN AMONG COMMUNITIES?
>> WELL, I DEFINITELY HAVE TO THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME CREATIVE INVESTMENTS.
WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT PARTNERING IN WAYS THAT CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE THE FUNDS MORE ACCESSIBLE.
OFTENTIMES, EVEN WHEN THESE PROGRAMS, THE LOAN PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE, SOMETIMES COMMUNITIES ARE MISSING OUT BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY CAN’T PUT TOGETHER THE PACKAGE, THE PROPOSAL TO APPLY FOR THE FUNDING.
AND THEN I ALSO THINK THAT PARTICULARLY IN AN ELECTION YEAR , LIKE NOW, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WATER IS A PRESSING POLITICAL ISSUE, I TO HEALTH CARE OR EDUCATION.
– – AKIN TO HEALTH CARE OR EDUCATION.
WE NEED TO HOLD OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE AT ALL LEVELS TO ENSURE THAT THEY’RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT THIS AND PRIORITIZING IT, BECAUSE WE KNOW IT’S DISENFRANCHISING THE POOR DISPROPORTIONALLY.
AND SO IT NEEDS TO BE ON THE AGENDA IN WAYS WHERE WE’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.
JOHN: ON THIS BROADCAST WE HAVE COVERED WATER PROBLEMS IN FLINT, MICHIGAN, IN BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
IS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT THESE ARE ALL THE MAJORITY BLACK CITIES?
>> NO, IT’S NOT A COINCIDENCE.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT SORT OF THE TENETS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE TROUBLED HISTORY WE’VE HAD IN THIS COUNTRY, IT IS NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT ONCE AGAIN, THE DISENFRANCHISED TEND TO BE THOSE THAT HAVE HAD REALLY DISPROPORTIONAL IMPACTS ON THEIR LIVELIHOOD ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO WHETHER IT’S HEALTH OR EDUCATION, THESE COMMUNITIES ARE FACING THE SAME CHALLENGES.
AND SO THIS WATER ISSUE IS JUST OVERLAID IN THE SAME WAY.
SO THAT SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISING TO US.
WHAT IS SURPRISING IS HOW WE CONTINUE TO NEGLECT THESE VERY SAME COMMUNITIES.
WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THOSE COMMUNITIES OR HEALTH CARE AND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, AND NOW THINKING ABOUT WATER, JUST THE MERE FACT THAT YOU’RE LIVING IN THE U.S. AND ARE PLANNING YOUR DAY RELATIVE TO HOW YOU’RE GOING TO ACCESS SAFE DRINKING WATER, IS QUITE SHOCKING.
JOHN: SHANNON MARQUEZ OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANKS SO MUCH, JOHN.