Sarah Brody

There are a number of steps that state and local leaders could take to narrow the funding gap by tens of billions, making the most of the money that is available to keep the faucets flowing. Turning on the tap for a gush of clean water is something most Americans take for granted. Getting that water into homes and businesses, though, is a logistical miracle. Doing so of underground pipes, 65,000 different community drinking water and treatment systems — and lots of money to keep it all going.

Water is essential to life on Earth – and it supports about 60% of the global GDP. However, we’re facing severe water constraints due to climate change, population growth, and industrial expansion. That could mean a potential 40% shortfall in global water demand by 2030. A new collaboration between the WEF and McKinsey experts David Gonzalez, Yannig Gourmelon, and Anna Lazarin has developed a framework to help multiple stakeholders address complex water risks.

State and local leaders are well positioned to help water and wastewater utilities solve challenges in financial health, infrastructure resilience, economic development, and lives and livelihoods. Recent years have seen the publication of a number of reports about how water and wastewater utilities in the United States can become more resilient, particularly when it comes to addressing rapidly aging infrastructure, optimizing operational efficiencies, and contending with increasing water demand.