Financing Solutions For Water Infrastructure Investment

The facts are as clear as the water we drink. The U.S. water and wastewater infrastructure is in desperate need of repair.

The majority of the burden of upgrading our nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure falls on the public sector, as approximately 85 percent of water systems in this country are municipal-owned. This white paper will explore current challenges facing municipalities, and how various financing options, boosted by public-private partnerships, can help them not only make necessary repairs, but also ensure continued high quality water and economic vitality now and in the future.

However, with challenges come opportunities. A report on “Financing Sustainable Water Infrastructure,” released earlier this year by The Johnson Foundation with American Rivers and Ceres, put forth two guiding questions: 1) “What new financing techniques can communities use to pay for integrated and sustainable infrastructure approaches?”, and 2) “How can we direct private capital toward more sustainable water management projects?”