http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain
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SUSTAINABLE
Water Infrastructure
Get the Facts on Sustainable Water
Infrastructure & EPA's New Sustainability Policy
Sustainably managing our nation's water infrastructure is critical to
protecting human health and the environment, as well as securing clean,
safe water for the American public.
Yet, as aging drinking water, wastewater and stormwater
systems require significant upgrade and repair, it is one
of the biggest challenges facing the water sector. The
investments made now in water sector infrastructure
can have profound impacts on long-term community
sustainability.
With input from federal, state and local stakeholders,
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued
the Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure
Sustainability Policy as part of its efforts to promote
sustainable infrastructure within the water sector.
Recognizing that the first priority of water infrastructure
is to protect public health and water quality, EPA will
work with its partners to build upon existing efforts that
support sustainable water infrastructure and community
sustainability. This partnership will be built around the
following areas:
• Promoting planning processes that support sustainability
• Encouraging community sustainability
• Promoting sustainable water and wastewater systems
•Targeting State Revolving Fund (SRF) assistance
• Measuring success
,, .„ „„., r.~~ , 'olicy is available at http://
water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain.
Read on for answers to frequently asked
questions on what the Policy means and
how EPA is supporting ongoing initiatives in
sustainable water infrastructure.
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http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain
EPA's Sustainability Policy
Q: What are the overall goals of the Policy?
A: The Policy is the next step in EPA's ongoing efforts
to change how the nation views, values and manages our
water infrastructure. EPA and its partners seek to ensure
that federal investments, policies and actions support
sustainable water infrastructure to best support existing
communities, enhance economic competitiveness and
promote affordable neighborhoods.
The Policy addresses how more sustainable practices
can be achieved on three interdependent levels:
• Sustainable Water Infrastructure— Robust and
comprehensive planning processes should be adopted
to pursue water infrastructure investments that are
cost-effective over their life cycle, resource-efficient
and consistent with community sustain ability goals.
• Sustainable Water Sector Systems—Water sector
systems should employ Effective Utility Management
practices to build and maintain the technical, financial
and managerial capacity necessary to ensure long-
term sustainability.
• Sustainable Communities— Investments in various
infrastructure sectors, such as housing, transportation
and water, should be coordinated to best align with a
community's goals for livability and sustainable growth.
Each of these levels supports the others. The effective
management of water infrastructure is one of the main
challenges faced by our water sector systems. Our water
sector systems must also address a range of other
challenges to ensure their operations and infrastructure
are sustainable.
Q: What is EPA doing to achieve the goals
outlined in the Policy?
A: EPA is working collaboratively with its federal, state
and local partners to develop guidance, provide technical
assistance and target federal state revolving fund
capitalization funds and other relevant federal financial
assistance to increase the sustainability of our water
infrastructure.
The Policy continues to promote EPA's ongoing
efforts of Effective Utility Management, energy and
water conservation, asset management and capacity
development, outlining specific implementation efforts
to support sustainability of water infrastructure, water
systems and communities. A full list of initial actions
being pursued by EPA and its partners under the Policy
can be found at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/
sustain/upload/Sustainability-Policy.pdf.
Q: What does the Policy mean by
infrastructure investment in "efficient
and sustainable locations"?
A: The focus on supporting water infrastructure in
more efficient and sustainable locations refers to
the targeting of resources to specific areas within a
community, based on cross-sector plans and goals for
sustainability and growth.
EPA and its state and federal partners seek to target
federal dollars, policies and actions to ensure that water
infrastructure investments are being coordinated with
investments in other sectors in order to best meet the
sustainability needs of our communities.
Q: What does it mean to select infrastructure
projects using a "fix-it-first" approach?
A: "Fix-it-first" refers to an investment approach that
targets resources to support the repair, replacement
and upgrade of existing infrastructure and facilitates
residential, commercial and industrial development within
the existing service footprint of the water sector utility.
The fix-it-first approach helps to revitalize communities
by making infrastructure investments within existing
built areas before investing in expansion into new
areas. It maximizes the number of people served by that
infrastructure and minimizes the amount of infrastructure
that the ratepayers must support for the long term.
Q: How does the Policy affect the State
Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Programs
that fund drinking water and clean water
infrastructure?
A: Through their SRF programs, states will continue to
encourage a range of practices that support sustainable
water infrastructure and overall system sustainability.
EPA will work with states to encourage additional
practices—including up-front planning, Effective Utility
Management, asset management, integrated water
resource management and energy management—to
build a "pipeline" of sustainable projects eligible to
receive federal SRF capitalization grant funding and to
advance sustainable practices by systems throughout
the water sector irrespective of SRF funding.
States will retain their roles as primary implementers of
SRF programs with the flexibility to manage funds and
support the directions set forth in the law and this Policy
consistent with local conditions and challenges.
Please contact James Home, (202) 564-0571, of the Office of Wastewater Management,
Municipal Support Division, with any questions regarding the Policy.
EPA-832-F-11-005 July 2011
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