Secure and Resilient Water Systems Act - Summer

Team Members:  Anna Loizeaux, Rachel Patterson Team Members, Maria Gracia Aguilar, Jenna Behrendt, Mina Guo, James Lin, Aayushi Mishra, Emily Poorvin, Christina Theodoridi, Jingjing Wang

Public drinking water systems face growing threats from industrial pollution, climate change, infrastructure deterioration, and intentional contamination. Aging infrastructure and environmental stressors increase the risk of water contamination, threatening public health and economic stability. Climate change exacerbates these risks through extreme weather events, drought, and shifting water availability. The Secure and Resilient Water Systems Act amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require water systems to assess vulnerabilities and develop protection plans to improve resilience and safeguard water quality.

Research finds that improving system monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, and risk assessment strengthens water system reliability and protects public health. Providing funding and technical support enables water systems to address vulnerabilities based on local conditions. However, implementation challenges include financial constraints, technical limitations, and varying system capacities. Measuring success requires evaluating improvements in water quality, system resilience, and response preparedness. Strengthening drinking water system resilience supports environmental sustainability, economic stability, and public health, demonstrating the importance of proactive infrastructure and environmental risk management.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.