THE POST-ELECTION FUTURE OF WATER - PART I

It is no secret, nor surprise, that we have just experienced a very contentious and close election. Indeed, the actual vote totals in the presidential race were sufficiently close to deny a mandate for one party or the other. Rather, the actual mandate is for all parties to come together to address and resolve serious issues confronting the country, including those pertaining to water.

As John Wesley wrote in his journal in 1774 about an election to be held in England: "I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election and advised them: 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy; 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against; And 3. To take care that their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side."

What are some of the concerns and issues for water that likely will beg for attention from the federal and state governments now that the election has become history? I think that they could include the following:

1. Will USEPA continue to promulgate more and more regulations for monitoring and removing constituents in water and wastewater? Or will Congress react to mitigate the rising costs for utilities to comply with such regulations, and the resulting rising rates charged users?

2. Will USEPA aggressively use its perceived enforcement powers or will Congress and the courts seek to restrain such powers?

3. How will utilities address so-called climate changes which are believed to reduce sources of water supply and to increase competition for supplies across regional boundaries?

4. How will utilities construct and pay for new water and wastewater infrastructure needed to replace facilities beyond their useful lives and to meet demand created by an eventual resurgence in the housing and manufacturing industries?

5. Will the federal government, already deeply in debt by trillions of dollars, continue to fund grants and loans to states and cities for water and wastewater capital improvements, and if so, from where will the federal government get the money?

6. How high will rates for water and wastewater services have go to meet regulatory compliance costs, increased operating costs and infrastructure capital costs?

Stay tuned!