Signal Group, a proud sponsor of Water Week 2020, signs the US Water Alliance’s Guiding Principles to Secure our Water Future.
Every day, especially in this time of crisis, we are reminded of how important it is for everyone to have access to clean, safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water and wastewater services. The most important thing we can all do right now is to stay home when possible, and when we cannot: to wash our hands. Immediately, the country needs to ensure water is reliable and affordable for everyone and to strengthen water utilities of all sizes, regardless of ownership. That includes providing assistance to those who cannot afford their water bills at this time and making it easier for water utilities to help each other—we are confident America is going to get through this crisis by working together.
But the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has challenged our economy as well. With the nation at a practical standstill, over 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month alone. This job loss is striking almost every industry, and is not expected to be short-lived, even after social distancing restrictions are eased. Investing in water infrastructure is an excellent way to put people back to work, fuel economic recovery, and improve our environment—a real win-win-win.
That is why Signal Group is proud to sign onto the US Water Alliance’s Guiding Principles to Secure Our Water Future. Signal recognizes that now, more than ever, is the time to move forward with a smart, holistic approach to solving our nation’s challenges. As such, for the second year in a row, Signal Group is also a proud sponsor of Water Week.
America needs to address the challenges presented by coronavirus in a comprehensive manner, and USWA’s principles do just that; representing a path forward to get Americans back to work, while simultaneously harnessing innovation to ensure clean water accessibility and reliability.
We are encouraged to hear that the Administration and Members of Congress support the passage of a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure package to help pull the nation out of this economic downturn. One of the smartest ways to jumpstart our economy is to invest in water infrastructure. Major investments in this sector could create over 1.5 million jobs and generate hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity each year.
We applaud the more than 100 organizations who have joined Signal in signing on to these guiding principles, including our clients: American Water, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. We look forward to addressing the challenges ahead of us and working towards a more accessible and reliable clean water future.