Pete Domenici: “fresh water is a substance that we as Americans assume will be available when and where we want it. However, the…”

“fresh water is a substance that we as Americans assume will be available when and where we want it. However, the disruption of water and wastewater services following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita has shown how fragile those assumptions can be. The resulting fear, panic and instability are what we rarely experience in this Nation. However, as we look around the globe, those same fears, sense of panic, and sense of instability is a daily occurrence for over 1 billion people across the globe who have little or no hope for a speedy resolution of their concerns. We must help solve the expanding problems of insufficient clean drinking water and inadequate wastewater treatment. These are matters of international importance for several reasons. First, we are a member of an increasingly international economy, and the expansion or contraction of economies the world over affects our industry and economy. Furthermore, disease knows no borders and can spread through water. Most importantly, we care about the well being of others. All these national policy goals are intimately related to adequate water and wastewater treatment across the world. There are many ways that we can help address this world-wide problem. However, lasting solutions require that local individuals and institutions have the capacity to maintain and expand their own services.…”