U.S. Water Infrastructure Funding and Business Risks Survey

2023

Download the surveyDownload the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ABWC Poll of Voters on the Current State
of Federal Investment in Aging Water Systems

A national survey conducted by the American Business Water Coalition (ABWC) to gauge opinions about water reliability and current funding levels found that a large majority of voters – eight in ten Americans – said they are more likely to support candidates who support increasing funding for clean and reliable drinking water.

The new findings also show that U.S. voters believe drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure are integrally linked to the business community and overall economic prosperity. Almost all survey participants – more than 98 percent of respondents – agreed that it’s important, very important or extremely important for businesses to have access to clean water for routine services, operations, and hygiene. This supports growing concern among voters that operational challenges for clean water utilities put businesses in America at risk, since economic growth depends on clean water.

66 percent of U.S. voters believe water infrastructure is underfunded or dramatically underfunded by the federal government. This concurs with expert projections that the costs associated with restoring America’s aging water infrastructure system exceed $1 trillion over the next 25 years.
Nearly eight in 10
Nearly eight in 10 U.S. voters (78.86 percent of survey respondents) reported being more likely to vote for their member of Congress or senator if they support increased funding for clean and reliable drinking water.
More than 90 percent
More than 90 percent of respondents connected the dots between increased federal funding for water infrastructure and the health of their local economy, saying it was somewhat, very, or extremely important to the local economy, and 98 percent of Americans believe that it is important for businesses to have access to clean water (for sanitation, routine services and operations, commerce, irrigation, and customer service).
66 percent of Americans
66 percent of Americans believe water infrastructure is underfunded by the federal government, and 12 percent believe that it is dramatically underfunded. In fact, just 10 percent of American voters believe the nation’s water infrastructure is well funded.
Nearly
40 percent
Nearly 40 percent of Americans rate the condition of our nation’s drinking water infrastructure as low quality or very low quality.
Nearly
45 percent
Nearly 45 percent of American voters selected federal funding as their preferred method to help close the water infrastructure gap, instead of alternative methods of funding clean water, including public utility rate adjustments (higher water bills) and higher taxes.

Question XX

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Key (In order)

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Question 1

How would you rate the quality of the water that you drink?

Key (In order)

Very high quality
High quality
Good quality
Low quality
Very low quality

Question 2

How would you rate the condition of our nation's drinking water infrastructure?

Key (In order)

Very high quality
High quality
Good quality
Low quality
Very low quality

Question 3

How would you rate the nations water infrastructure funding? 

Key (In order)

Well funded
Just right
Needs more funding
Dramatically underfunded
 

Question 4

How important is it to you that businesses serving the community have access to clean water (for sanitation, routine services and operations, commerce, irrigation, and customer service, etc.)?

Key (In order)

Extremely important
Very important
Somewhat important
Not so important
Not at all important

Question 5

How important is it to the local economy to increase federal funding for water infrastructure?

Key (In order)

Extremely important
Very important
Somewhat important
Current funding is sufficient
Not at all important

Question 6

Billions of dollars are needed to maintain, replace, and upgrade our nation's water infrastructure. The majority of water funding comes from residential and local business customers through their water and sewer bills. But current funding levels will not meet the projected need of clean water utilities.Where should future funding for water infrastructure come from?

Key (In order)

Increased federal funding
Increased rates for water services paid for by residents (such as water and sewer bills).
Increased state funding
Increased rates or fees for water services paid for by businesses
Increased local taxes

Question 7

How important is it to you that your Member of Congress or Senator supports increased funding for clean and reliable drinking water?

Key (In order)

Extremely important
Very important
Somewhat important
Not so important
Not at all important

Question 8

Would you be more likely to vote for your Member of Congress or Senator if they support increased funding for clean and reliable drinking water?

Key (In order)

Yes
No
 
 
 

The water infrastructure investment challenge.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) invested $55 billion in our nation’s water infrastructure, the largest single investment in history. However, this investment is not enough to bring our nation’s water systems into a state of good repair – the American Water Works Association estimates that restoring existing water systems and expanding them to serve a growing population will cost at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years, and this does not take into account emerging challenges like increasing drought in the west; floods in the East, Midwest and South; and new contaminants like PFAS.

Further, Congress is not even close to funding water infrastructure programs at their fully authorized levels. Roughly $20 billion in investments in water infrastructure were authorized but not appropriated in IIJA alone.

This funding shortfall is putting water utilities, as well as the companies and communities they serve, in a bind. In fact, only about 17% of utilities are confident that they can adequately maintain their systems, let alone upgrade them to prepare for emerging risks, without increased outside investment.

$55 billion

in our nation’s water infrastructure, the largest single investment in history

$1 trillion

cost over the next 25 years

83%

of utilities are not confident that they can adequately maintain their systems

Massive opportunity

On the other hand, adequate investment in water infrastructure would cause U.S. GDP to grow by $4.5 trillion over 20 years and create 800,000 new jobs.

The business community must engage in the fight for increased federal investment in water infrastructure. Engagement is a win-win proposition: the water sector will benefit from a strong business voice highlighting the economic opportunities, and businesses will be supported with the certainty that they can rely on their local water infrastructure.

$4.5 trillion over 20 years creates 800,000 new jobs

The American Business Water Coalition is a group of water-reliant businesses—from manufacturing to energy to tech and beyond. The coalition provides a platform for businesses across the country to urge Congress and the Administration to increase investment in water infrastructure, and foster relationships between businesses and their local utilities.
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