Resources

…And Water For All ( Full Movie_

Learn more about the director http://www.ramiroberardo.net/

The post Water Affordability Documentary appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

A call to increase drinking water and wastewater infrastructure funding was near the top of the Alliance’s annual list of federal legislative priorities. And now the issue is front and center in Washington.

Before I share a rundown of where legislation stands, first a quick refresher on the issue. Communities across the Great Lakes region continue to grapple with crumbling, antiquated drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, which includes drinking water and sewage treatment plants and the pipes that carry water to and from our homes. It’s not just a Great Lakes problem. Our nation’s drinking water infrastructure is woefully in need of repair. In 2021, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s drinking water system a “C minus” and said that much of our drinking water infrastructure is nearing the end of its useful life. But, fixing infrastructure is expensive. The eight Great Lakes states need $188 billion over the next 20 years for improvements, upgrades, and repairs to this infrastructure

Back in March, President Biden unveiled a massive infrastructure spending proposal – the American Jobs Plan – and his FY22 budget also includes investments in drinking and wastewater infrastructure. The President’s budget and legislative proposals respond to our advocacy on behalf of Great Lakes citizens who deserve clean and affordable drinking water and clean water for recreation. The key question now is, how will the Congress respond to the President’s efforts to invest in fixing our massive infrastructure problems?

The initial legislative action in Congress is encouraging and it’s notable that one of the first bi-partisan bills to pass the United States Senate last month centered on water infrastructure needs. The Senate’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 passed the Senate 89-2 and proposes to spend $35 billion over five years to upgrade drinking and wastewater infrastructure around the country and to target communities most in need in doing so. The Senate’s proposed $35 billion investment is a good first step to address the needs of the Great Lakes, but we know that more is necessary. The bill still has hurdles before it can become law as it has only passed the Senate.

The House of Representatives is also tackling infrastructure legislation. In an encouraging development, two committees in the House are currently considering larger water-related investments. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021 and the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act together propose to invest $101 billion in drinking and wastewater infrastructure. Committee hearings and markups – the process by which legislators debate bills by suggesting rewrites or amendments – are underway.

But where is all this going and how will it come together? The President’s American Jobs Plan proposed $111 billion for drinking and wastewater infrastructure spending over eight years, and that amount is much larger than either the Senate or House legislation considered to date. The President’s plan is being met with some resistance in Congress, with concerns being expressed by some House and Senate members over cost and scope of the plans. It is very much a subject of legislative negotiation and discussion with compromises still to be reached. But as with any domestic investment of this size and scale, this negotiation is to be expected.

So we remain engaged in the legislative process to inform Congress of our water needs. And, you can too. Hundreds of Great Lakes advocates sent letters to their Members of Congress in late April and it’s not too late to weigh in. It’s important that Congress hear from people like you as they debate these bills. We make it easy for you to send a letter in our Great Lakes Action Center.

The post Water Infrastructure Front and Center in Washington, DC appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

May 14, 2020 (Columbus, OH) – On Thursday, Representative Erica Crawley (D-Columbus) introduced legislation that will ensure clean, safe, affordable water for everyone in Ohio. 

Nationwide, more than a third of all households will not be able to pay their water bill by the end of 2022 according to a report out of Michigan State University. A report on water and sewer affordability in Ohio found that in nearly 80 percent of Ohio communities, a month of basic water and sewer service requires more than eight hours of labor at minimum wage. The Ohio report found that water costs are disproportionately felt in communities of color which have been redlined and disinvested in for decades and in rural communities with a small rate base.  

“Freshwater Future applauds Representative Crawley for her leadership to ensure everyone has access to clean, safe, and affordable water,” said Kristy Meyer, Associate Director at Freshwater Future. “As water rates and economic inequality rise, many Ohioans are losing access to water, a basic human need. Hard decisions are being made between rent, food, medical care, electricity and water- the necessities for life. Without clean, safe water flowing into homes, people cannot wash their hands and keep good hygiene, leading to public health issues that also impact our economy.” 

In 2016, more than 15 million Americans, or 1 out of every 20 households, had their water shut off due to being unable to pay their water bill. Thousands across the state last year had to make the hard decision between putting food on the table and paying their water bill. When water is cut off to a house, a parent could lose custody of their child due to perceived neglect. Kids going to school with poor hygiene have reported being bullied, which can lead to grades slipping. 

“Families should not have to choose between paying their water and sewer bills and putting food on the table,” said Alliance for the Great Lakes Director of Policy and Strategic Engagement Crystal M.C. Davis. “In a water-rich state located along Lake Erie, it is unacceptable that people around Ohio cannot afford clean, safe drinking water in their homes. The Alliance for the Great Lakes applauds Representative Crawley for introducing legislation to address water affordability in Ohio.” 

“The coronavirus pandemic has shown us how fragile water security is for many Ohioans. As water rates have risen steeply in recent years, vulnerable Ohioans have been affected the most. All Ohioans should have access to clean, safe drinking water regardless of where they live or how much money they make,” said Melanie Houston, Drinking Water Director for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund. “We thank Representative Crawley for introducing this legislation and look forward to continuing to work with her to ensure clean, safe water is available to all Ohio families.”

The legislation specifically:

• Bans water shutoffs for nonpayment;
• Requires public water utilities to create a water affordability program based on available income of the household;
• Requires public water utilities to develop an emergency water assistance program for people who cannot afford to pay their water bill when they fall on hard times;
• Provides an opportunity for debt forgiveness for Ohioans who are diligently working to pay down water debt for 2 years; and
• Allows water utilities to use funds generated from rate-payers to create customer assistance programs. 

### 

About the Alliance for the Great Lakes: The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean and natural waters of the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.greatlakes.org.

About Freshwater Future: Freshwater Future builds a strong and effective environmental community working to protect and restore the waters of the Great Lakes by involving residents in civic decision-making. 

About Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund: The OEC Action Fund is committed to protecting and enhancing the environment and the health of all Ohio communities. We will continue to fight for Ohio’s access to clean water, healthy air, vibrant public lands and a strong democracy. Learn more at www.theoecactionfund.org/. 

Media Contacts: 

Jennifer Caddick, Alliance for the Great Lakes at jcaddick@greatlakes.org or 312-445-9760 

Kristy Meyer, Freshwater Future at Kristy@FreshwaterFuture.org  or 614-638-8948

Emily Bacha, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund at ebacha@theoec.org or 216-533-8637

The post Groups Applaud the Introduction of Water For All Legislation appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The independent report, Water & Sewer Service Affordability in Ohio: Assessment & Opportunities for State Policy, finds that in nearly 80 percent of Ohio communities, a month of basic water and sewer service requires more than eight hours of labor at minimum wage. In about 45 percent of Ohio communities, a household at the 20th income percentile must pay more than 10 percent of their disposable income for basic water and sewer service. The report was authored by Associate Professor Manuel Teodoro, PhD of Texas A&M University. Teodoro is a nationally recognized expert in analyzing utility rate equity and affordability.

“Ohio families are being forced to make economic trade-offs to pay water and sewer bills,” said Crystal Davis, Policy Director for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “In a water-rich state situated along Lake Erie, it is unacceptable that people around Ohio and the Great Lakes cannot afford clean, safe drinking water in their homes.”

The report finds that while water affordability in Ohio is not specific to urban, suburban, or rural communities, the root causes are different in rural and urban communities.

In rural communities, small water utilities cannot scale-up infrastructure to meet demand results in higher cost, and lower income residents end up paying a higher proportion of their income for basic water and sewer services. In urban communities, drinking and sewer costs are disproportionately borne by communities of color which have been redlined and disinvested for decades which has led to high rates of income inequality. In turn, basic water and sewer costs account for a higher proportion of disposable income.

“Water stresses, and the costs to fix them, are not shared equally,” said Pete Bucher, Water Resources Director for the Ohio Environmental Council. “We need a state-wide conversation about this issue and an effort to develop comprehensive, statewide strategy to address water affordability for Ohio families.”

Suggested strategies to address water affordability in Ohio including the consolidation of Ohio’s current 1,187 water utilities and 923 sewer treatment facilities, changing rate structures to focus on encouraging low fixed charges, as well as development of local and statewide customer assistance programs to help low-income customers.

The full report and a brief fact sheet can be found here.

###

About the Alliance for the Great Lakes: The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean and natural waters of the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.greatlakes.org

About the Ohio Environmental Council: The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) is the state’s most comprehensive, effective and respected environmental advocate for a healthier, more sustainable Ohio. The OEC develops and ensures the implementation of forward-thinking, science-based, pragmatic solutions to secure healthy air, land, and water for all who call Ohio home.

Contacts:

Jennifer Caddick, Alliance for the Great Lakes at jcaddick@greatlakes.org or 312-445-9760

Emily Bacha, Ohio Environmental Council at ebacha@theoec.org or 216-533-8637

The post Study Details Challenges and Opportunities to Address Water Affordability in Ohio appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

In response to the report, Alliance for the Great Lakes Policy Director Crystal Davis released the following statement:

“We live on the shores of the world’s largest freshwater system. It is unacceptable that people around the Great Lakes cannot afford clean, safe drinking water in their homes. The investigative report So Close, So Costly details in stark terms two critical problems facing the Great Lakes region.

First, water and sewer infrastructure in most Great Lakes communities is in desperate need of repair. And it is going to cost a lot to fix it. The price tag to repair and replace drinking and wastewater infrastructure in the eight Great Lakes states is estimated to be a whopping $179 billion over 20 years.

Second, water stresses are not shared equally. People of color and low-income residents are disproportionately impacted. We know that this is not coincidental. When we talk about these water issues, we’re really talking about an intersection of forces that result in black, brown, and low-income communities being most likely to struggle with water stress.

So the question becomes twofold: How do we make sure Great Lakes water is safe, clean and affordable from the source to the tap? And how do we ensure that the solutions we put forward equitably serve all Great Lakes communities?

Some assistance programs to help individual ratepayers exist, but they are not enough. In Cleveland for instance, some limited water bill assistance is available but only to homeowners, not renters. And as the So Close, So Costly report details, existing programs are often confusing and difficult to access.

We applaud Great Lakes Today and American Public Media for bringing much needed attention to water inequities around the lakes. This problem will not be solved overnight but there are steps elected officials can act on now, as detailed in our 2019 Federal Policy Agenda. The Great Lakes region, and the nation, must acknowledge the hard truths of unequal access to water. We urge our elected officials to take action on this critical issue.”

###

Media contact:
Jennifer Caddick: (315) 767-2802, jcaddick@greatlakes.org

The post Water Affordability: Current Efforts Are Just a Drop in the Bucket appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The event was organized by the Alliance for the Great Lakes and supported by the Office of Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Cleveland Water, Northeast Shores Community Development Corporation and the Collinwood Nottingham Community Development Corporation. Local community members spoke directly with the Sewer District and Cleveland Water in a roundtable discussion about water affordability.

“Rising water and sewer bills are a constant worry for many Clevelanders,” said Alliance for the Great Lakes Policy Director Crystal Davis. “Today’s event was developed to bring additional transparency to the issue, help residents get answers to individual questions, and begin to talk about long-term solutions.”

After the roundtable, residents were invited to address individual bill concerns face-to-face with Cleveland Water and Sewer District staff. Leaders of community organizations also learned about utility assistance programs that they can share with residents, and agencies connected around opportunities for collaboration.

Responding to Community Need

The Alliance organized the event in response to concerns voiced by residents during a series of community conversations over the past year. At these conversations, Alliance staff heard directly from community members about local environmental concerns and other priority issues.

In each conversation, participants unanimously agreed: water affordability is a major issue. Even when participants indicated that water affordability was not a major issue for their household, they voiced concern for people with low and fixed incomes.

At the same time, the city of Cleveland, like many American cities, is on the hook for large, costly water infrastructure updates in the coming years. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave America’s wastewater and drinking water systems each a “D” grade, noting that most of the country’s pipes are reaching the end of their useful life.

Degrading water infrastructure represents a potentially dangerous problem for Ohio communities, and fixing it is a major need—but an expensive one. Over the next 20 years, Ohio’s drinking water infrastructure will require an investment of $9.68 billion. Wastewater infrastructure needs add up to about $11.16 billion.

Working Together for an Equitable Solution

“While we support much needed upgrades to the city’s water and sewer infrastructure to ensure safe drinking water and a clean Lake Erie, we are working together with community members, agencies, and elected officials to find equitable solutions to pay for those upgrades,” Davis said.

One potential solution is the  Low-Income Sewer and Water Assistance Program Act introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11).

The legislation would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop a pilot program to provide assistance to help low-income families pay their water and sewer bills. The new bill is modeled after a successful federal program — the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) — that has helped low-income families pay energy and heating costs since 1977.

Water bills are even higher than heating costs for many families living at the poverty line. Yet no federal assistance programs currently exist to defray costs.

The post Cleveland Residents Share Concerns, Get Answers at Water Affordability Clinic appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.