09 Jun Call to Action! Contact Your Member of Congress to Request Funds for Western Water Infrastructure Needs TODAY
When you want a glass of water, you likely turn on the kitchen faucet or put a glass under the water dispenser in your refrigerator, and the water is simply there. But what if it wasn’t?
What many of us take for granted is that there is a complex system of water infrastructure in place to get that water to your tap. BUT our water infrastructure is aging, deteriorating and in desperate need of the kind of financial investment that only the federal government can provide. We need support from our federal leaders to modernize our water supply system for everyone – including the Columbia Basin Project.
Existing Western water infrastructure is in desperate need of rehabilitation and improvement. Most of the federal water projects in the West were built more than 50 years ago and were not designed with present and future population demands and climate conditions in mind. Without immediate attention, the Western water system will quickly prove inadequate to meet the needs of all water users!
CALL TO ACTION! We need your help to contact your Member of Congress and urge them to invest in a diversified water management portfolio that enhances water supply and quality for urban, rural and environmental uses while keeping water flowing to our farms. In addition to financial support, we need you to ask Congress to ensure the timely construction of water projects by wisely streamlining the regulatory and permitting processes. Do not let Congress pass another infrastructure without including significant investments in improving current infrastructure while supporting innovative technology for new infrastructure efforts.
Deadline? The U.S. House claims it will have an infrastructure package on the House floor by July 4. So, advocacy efforts in the Western states are ramping up. Reach out before it is too late and let Congress know that you support investments in water infrastructure, specifically the Columbia Basin Project, as its existing infrastructure serving about 680,000 acres is aging and, in some instances, over 70 years old.
Here is a sample email you can use:
Dear Representative/Senator,
I am a constituent that is concerned about the existing water infrastructure in the West. These projects – like the Columbia Basin Project – were developed more than 50 years ago and were not designed to meet the demands of future populations. The projects also did not consider the ever-changing climate conditions. Without immediate attention, the system will quickly become inadequate and no longer meet the needs of both the rural and urban communities that you serve in Congress.
I am writing to you today to invest in a diversified water management portfolio that enhances our water supply and water quality to benefit urban and rural communities, while benefiting the environment.
Specific recommendations to be included in the next infrastructure package include:
- Water conservation.
- Water augmentation, recycling, reuse, and desalination projects.
- New water storage facilities, both surface and groundwater.
- Watershed management, fish passage and recovery, and habitat restoration.
- Federal financing mechanisms for water projects.
- Loans for local districts operating and maintaining federally owned irrigation projects.
- Water quality improvement for rural communities.
Thank you for representing me in Congress. I look forward to seeing you vote for additional funding and quick distribution of this funding to support water infrastructure in the West.
Find contact info for your member of Congress at Congress.gov.