invisible to invaluable: harriet festing presentation

Harriet FestingDirector, Water ProgramCenter for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)

One Water leadership Summit 2013

Presentation Overview

• Who we are

• Research

• Building the case for policy changes

• 3 Lessons

Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)

• National Non-Profit• Areas of Focus:

• Transportation, Energy, Climate Change & Water

• Working with Communities on Urban Sustainability:• Data & Research

• Tools & Transparency

• Collaboration

• Policy Advocacy

CNT Water Program

Smart Water for Smart Regions

The Great Lakes States are our testing ground for shaping the decisions of cities across the United States

National Partners

Funders

The Problem

Drought

Urban Flooding

Water Infrastructure Crisis

Research

Urban Flooding

The Issues

Water Loss

Photo: Flickr/ian boyd

• 48 most populous cities in the Great Lakes region

• 30 responded: 63%

• They serve 23% of the total population of the Great Lakes states and province

Survey Sample: Urban Flooding

• 100% receive complaints

• 87% characterize them as ‘medium’ to ‘large’

• Half have no plans for tackling it

• Two-thirds have no targets

• 80% do not track the costs of flood damage

Findings: Urban Flooding

• 80 water supply utilities• 10 largest in each Great

Lakes state• 68% response rate• 500 municipalities• 9.8 million people• Over 63,000 miles of

pipe

Survey Sample: Water Loss

• Pipes average 50 years old

• Leak an estimated 66.5 billion gallons of water each year

• Could supply water to 2.2 million Americans for a year

• 71% have no policy

• 51% have no goal

• 67% do not publicly report

Findings: Water Loss

• Residents in communities are directly affected• Leadership faces real obstacles• They want help

In Summary

Building the Campaign Case

Building the Case for dry basements

Our Homes & Businesses are Flooding

Stormwater in Your Home

Which also Causes….

CSO Pollution Flooded Basements

Flooded Streets Eroded Streams

We need Solutions •Improved mapping of flood risks

•Retrofit programs and development standards to protect your property

•Federally backed insurance & •mitigations funding

Building the Case: for fixing the leaks

Water Rates on the Rise

CNT Map based on data from article: Water costs gush higher, USA TODAYSeptember 29, 2012

Infrastructure Report Card = D

Your money is going down the drain!

Fixing the Leaks – A Good Idea

• Create Jobs• Drive Economic Development• Protect Human Health• Reduce Energy Use• Preserve Water Resources

We need…

•Clear standards & targets for water loss

•Plan of action

•Public reporting & transparency

What Have We Learnt?

• 1. Policy tools exist – but need adjustments, promotion & peer-to-peer training

What Have We Learnt?

2. The Cost of Doing Nothing – a Radical Paradigm Shift

What Have We Learnt?

3. The Public are ALREADY arguing for change

4. BUILDING A COALITION

We Welcome Your Support

Thank You! hfesting@cnt.org