The American Society of Civil Engineers in 2021 estimated the difference between infrastructure investments of all types needed over the decade of the 2020s ($5.9 trillion) and infrastructure work planned and funded ($3.3 trillion) was $2.6 trillion. It expects the annual gap for just drinking water and wastewater investment to be $434 billion by 2029.

Building new, climate-resilient infrastructure is beyond the financial capacity of many communities, particularly low-income communities.

The federal government has taken steps to provide more aid in recent years. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in 2021, authorized $55 billion for drinking water, wastewater, water storage and water reuse projects. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed the following year, included $550 million to assist disadvantaged communities with water supply projects.

But those funds don’t close the gap, and political pressure to reduce federal spending makes the future of federal support for infrastructure uncertain.

Local communities, states and federal agencies need to reexamine the growing threats from aging infrastructure in a warming world and find new solutions. That doesn’t just mean new engineering designs – it means thinking differently about governance, planning and financing, and societal goals.

Fixing water challenges might mean rebuilding infrastructure away from the threat, or building defenses against flooding. Some communities are experimenting with sponge landscapes and restoring wetlands to create natural environments that absorb excess rainfall to reduce flooding.

The challenge is not just which engineering solution to choose, but how to navigate the responsibilities of actually providing clean water to Americans as the climate continues to change.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jonathan Fisk, Auburn University; John C. Morris, Auburn University, and Megan E. Heim LaFrombois, Auburn University

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.