Buttigieg's $1-Trillion Infrastructure Plan Includes Major Provisions For Water Systems
As of this writing, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg stands as one of the politicians most likely to face Donald Trump in the November 2020 election. And, as such, his expansive plan for American infrastructure has a chance to make dramatic impact on the country’s water systems.
“The current administration has been incapable of keeping its promise to pass major infrastructure legislation, and critical projects around the country are stalled because of it,” reads a Buttigieg statement, according to The Hill. “Meanwhile, … water systems poison our children, and our flood protection systems fail as climate change accelerates.”
Buttigieg’s plan promises to invest over $1 trillion in the country’s infrastructure. Among the six outcomes it guarantees, three are dedicated to drinking water issues, including to “ensure that every American has access to clean drinking water,” to “lower water bills nationwide, slashing the average bill by 50 percent — the equivalent of over $600 — for 10 million families,” and to “protect millions of families from lead in paint and water through a $100 billion investment.”
The plan also aims to provide a solution to “brain drain” — the significant loss of institutional knowledge from the water and wastewater treatment industry taking place as baby boomers retire.
“One of the greatest threats to our infrastructure is a workforce that is approaching retirement,” per the plan. “Another wave of retirements is approaching for water utility workers.”
Even if Buttigieg never gets the chance to implement the plan, it’s possible that his emphasis on water infrastructure will influence future legislation. Furthermore, his plan is a likely barometer of an issue most Americans are aligned on — that our public infrastructure, particularly water systems, require significant federal investment. The big question, however, is how such ambitious changes would be funded.
“The [Buttigieg] campaign [said] it would pay for the projects by reforming the capital gains tax and repealing U.S. President Donald Trump’s tax cuts,” per Reuters.
But bold promises to improve our infrastructure may seem familiar to voters, who have heard similar guarantees from all types of politicians. President Trump has made such proclamations and they have not yet come to fruition.
“While the need for U.S. infrastructure investment is regarded as a point of bipartisan consensus, Trump and congressional leaders have failed to agree on a major bill to repair and replace aging and dangerous … water pipes,” Reuters reported. “In April, Trump and Democratic leaders agreed to spend $2 trillion on infrastructure, without hashing out a way to pay for it. Weeks later, Trump abruptly canceled a follow-up meeting after criticizing Democratic-led congressional investigations.”
To read more about problems with the country’s water infrastructure, visit Water Online’s Water Loss Solutions Center.