Integrated Water Management

Creating a healthy, livable, and equitable city must include a commitment to effective water management. Yet, most cities have a water system that is burdened by serious threats, from lack of funds for proactive maintenance to challenges in quality or supply, that are too great to solve with current management practices. Cities can instead create a more resilient water system by transitioning to a new framework: integrated water management. This approach to water management can help cities leverage limited resources more efficiently and better safeguard the important roles that water fills in residents’ lives. Residents depend upon safe drinking water flowing reliably from their taps, and cities must safeguard this vital service to protect the health of their residents. Providing clean drinking water equitably to all, regardless of income level or location within the city, is essential to preserve public trust in government. Water is a necessary commodity, powering residents’ lives and businesses. Safe and easy access to healthy, attractive, and recreational waterways greatly enhances livability and economic development; even without a body of water, cities can generate new economic opportunities through infrastructure investment and maintenance.