Today the U.S. Water Alliance, along with leadership from the City of Atlanta, released the first-ever report on strategies to build water equity in Atlanta. “An Equitable Water Future: Atlanta” is available online here.
The Atlanta Water Equity Taskforce began collaborating in 2018 to identify water equity issues in Atlanta and develop recommendations for advancing equity. Still today, people in historically underserved neighborhoods face disproportionate impacts from threats such as increased flooding and rising costs for water and sewer service, while numerous barriers limit access to training and jobs.
To address these challenges and advance water equity in Atlanta, the team developed an Water Equity Roadmap to identify opportunities for action in four areas of work: equitable decision-making, affordability, workforce development and climate resilience. As it was developing these recommendations, the taskforce piloted new strategies for community engagement and workforce development, focusing on planned green infrastructure projects in the Proctor Creek watershed funded by the city’s $14 million Environmental Impact Bond.
“The Atlanta Water Equity Roadmap is an important appendage to our strategic plan, which is our guide to address key challenges such as infrastructure inadequacy, stakeholder engagement, and workforce development,” said DWM Commissioner Mikita Browning. “This is evident with our partnerships with the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, Trust for Public Land, and the Historic Vine City Community with the recently completed Rodney Cook Sr. Park. DWM invested $12 million to install retention ponds and green infrastructure within the park to alleviate localized flooding, enhance the capacity of the combined sewer system, and benefit surrounding communities.”
"It is inspiring to see how the Atlanta Taskforce has already made progress in advancing water equity, by forging new relationships between the utility and the communities it serves,” said Mami Hara, CEO of the U.S. Water Alliance. “We know that building water equity creates benefits that extend well beyond water systems, strengthening economies and improving residents’ quality of life. The Alliance thanks the Atlanta Water Equity Taskforce for setting a strong example with true community engagement that produces more equitable outcomes."
The report was a joint effort of the Atlanta Water Equity Taskforce, which included the City of Atlanta Department of Water Management (DWM), the One Atlanta Office, Partnership for Southern Equity, American Rivers, The Conservation Fund, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, and Environmental Community Action Inc.
