The Money is Flowing but the Water is Not

As the U.S. continues to experience a quiet hurricane season, the country is reminded of storms that have not yet been weathered; water infrastructure problems. Reminiscent of Flint, Michigan, residents in Jackson, Mississippi still lack access to one of life’s most crucial unitalities – clean water.  Unfortunately, Jackson’s recent struggles are not new nor unique. In 2021, residents in Jackson went without water for a month following a winter storm. Even when the quantity returned, the quality continued to suffer. Now, flooding has knocked out the treatment plant, leaving residents waiting in line for bottled water to use for everything from drinking to cooking and bathing.

Jackson’s problems have been caused by the lack of leadership, not lack of money. Over the last two fiscal years, Congress has authorized more than $120 billion in improved water infrastructure funding through various streams. The American Rescue Plan allocated $65.1 billion to the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which can be used for water infrastructure modernization. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided an additional $23.4 billion for the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021, $15 billion for lead service line replacement and $10 billion to remove harmful Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance. The Environmental Protection Agency was appropriated $1.1 billion annually in FY21 and FY22 for its Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and a combined $123 million for its Water Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act program in those fiscal years.

While it likely does not provide solace to the citizens of Jackson, they are not alone. Also in 2021, millions of Texas residents were left without drinkable water following rolling blackouts from a severe February winter storm. And lest not forget Flint, Michigan, where the city’s 100,000 residents were drinking poorly treated water from the Flint River because of a cost-cutting move by city and state officials.

Despite Congress investing billions, the residents of Michigan and Mississippi have seen little improvement. In Flint, $450 million in state and federal investments have netted just a 2 parts per billion (PPB) decrease in lead and copper pollutants since July 2016.

The core of the issue falls on preparedness and accountability. States and localities must bear responsibility of preparing for extreme weather events by identifying critical infrastructure and insulating it from the impact. While providing states with flexibility in the use of funds is a valuable asset, it is clear that residents do not always reap the benefits. Congress must put more stringent guidelines on how funds can be used to match the intent of the authorization. States’ ability to use Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds on everything from filling deficits to paying essential workers to improving water infrastructure is a prime example of a bipolar program that forces a choice between short-term fiscal policy and long-term tangible investment.

By now, it should be clear that throwing money at a problem does not fix it. The path to aid communities, especially with projects like water infrastructure that can cost even a small city billions of dollars, starts with responsible and targeted policymaking by federal and state leaders.