The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and the COVID-19 pandemic made water infrastructure a higher priority for lawmakers
For years, lawmakers bemoaned crumbling roads and bridges while wastewater and drinking water infrastructure crumbled largely outside the spotlight.
Faced with outdated infrastructure and mounting federal requirements, water utilities struggled, often forced to pass the costs on to ratepayers ill-equipped to pay rapidly growing bills. And while the federal government offered aid to low-income Americans for heating assistance and food, there was no such federal aid for water bills, although utilities were reluctant to turn off the spigot.
The federal message to those facing water shutoffs was loud and clear: You’re on your own. Continue reading.