Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 07/2009

Sustainable Water Systems: Step One - Redefining the Nation's Infrastructure Challenge

David Monsma, Regan Nelson, Ray Bolger

May 2009

Aspen Institute

Abstract

Clean water is a precious natural resource that is essential to the health and well-being of our ecosystems, people and economy. Consequently, we have built a complex water infrastructure to deliver potable water to homes and businesses, to carry away, treat andmanage wastewater and stormwater, and to store water for future use. Alongside this water infrastructure has evolved an equally complex regulatory framework designed to monitor and ensure water quality. We have also established various financial mechanisms for the construction,maintenance, and development of ourman-made (built)water infrastructure.