Revamping Outdated Water Systems

The problem: Communities across the country are facing a critical challenge: outdated sewer and stormwater systems that can’t handle today’s population and rainfall demands. The result is more frequent overflows that damage houses, businesses, and infrastructure. Older combined systems can also dump untreated human and industrial waste, and other pollutants into local water systems. Overflows are not only gross, they’re also costly: they increase the risk of waterborne diseases and mold-related health issues, harm local water quality, interrupt commerce, and cause expensive damages.

Actionable recommendations: RAND offers a unique combination of expertise in water policy, climate projections, risk management, infrastructure finance, and regulatory systems. We are creating the decision support tools and the evidence base that communities need to design, manage, and finance effective systems. And we’re helping communicate the health and economic impacts that necessitate these overdue system investments.

• Urban water security: Past water crises can provide learning opportunities. Access to safe and affordable drinking water requires robust contingency plans, institutional capacity for rapid adaptation, and transparent communication with the public during emergencies to build resilience against future water challenges.
• Urban water management: Innovative use of advanced decision-support systems that employ modeling and scenario analysis and input from stakeholders can guide urban water management.
• Stormwater management in the Mid-Atlantic: Translating complex climate data into actionable guidance can help local governments make informed infrastructure decisions. Over eight years, the Mid-Atlantic Climate Adaptation Partnership (MARISA) project has developed 30 tools, from which six best practices for user-centered design have emerged.

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