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Illinois Should Do More to Encourage Private Investment in the State's Water Infrastructure
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(108 seconds)
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(OPEN):
THE E-P-A ESTIMATES THAT ILLINOIS NEEDS NEARLY 33-BILLION
DOLLARS--IN WATER- AND WASTEWATER-INVESTMENT, OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS--TO
MAINTAIN THE WATER-SYSTEMS THAT WE RELY ON, EVERY DAY, FOR DRINKING,
WASHING, AND BATHING. MANY BELIEVE THAT IMPROVEMENTS IN ILLINOIS'S
WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE WILL ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY-DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVE THE
ENVIRONMENT, AND ENHANCE WATER-SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, TODAY,
THE MOST-IMPORTANT REASON TO INVEST IN PIPES AND TREATMENT-FACILITIES
MAY LIE IN JOB-CREATION--AND THE RESULTING-STIMULUS THAT OCCURS.
WATER-POLICY EXPERT, AND NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WATER COMPANIES
EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR, MICHAEL DEANE, SAYS THAT--OUT OF ALL THE
SOLUTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO EASE ILLINOIS'S WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE
WOES--PRIVATE-INVESTMENT OFFERS THE MOST LASTING-BENEFITS...
(DEANE):
"WITH
AN ALREADY-STORMY ECONOMIC-CLIMATE AND NECESSARY-REPAIRS AHEAD, THERE
DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A LOT OF GOOD-NEWS. BUT, THERE ARE
EXISTING-SOLUTIONS [THAT ARE] BEING EMPLOYED IN OTHER STATES THAT CAN
ALSO HELP LESSEN WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES, NATIONWIDE. WHAT
THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THEY'RE ALL INNOVATIVE, THEY'RE
SUSTAINABLE, AND THEY INCREASE OVERALL PRIVATE-INVESTMENT IN WATER."
(BRIDGE):
DEANE SAYS THAT, IN ONE YEAR, PRIVATE-INVESTMENT IN ILLINOIS'S
WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE AS MANY AS 46-THOUSAND
NEW JOBS. THEREFORE, HE BELIEVES THAT IT'S TIME TO ASK WHAT
POLICYMAKERS ARE DOING TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE-INVESTMENT...
(DEANE):
"INVESTMENT
IN WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE WILL DO MORE THAN [JUST] IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF
[BOTH] OUR WATER AND OUR ENVIRONMENT. THE SIMPLE-TRUTH IS THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE-INVESTMENT ALSO MEANS MUCH-NEEDED JOBS, ACROSS OUR
COMMUNITIES--IMPACTING CONTRACTORS, MANUFACTURERS, SERVICE-PEOPLE, AND
BUSINESSES. ALL INVESTMENT IN WATER-INFRASTRUCTURE IS LOCAL—AND
OUR FUTURE IS AN INVESTMENT [THAT] WE CAN ALL GET BEHIND."
(CLOSE):
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT "WATER IS YOUR BUSINESS"--AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF NEW PRIVATE WATER-INVESTMENT IN ILLINOIS--VISIT
"WATER-IS-YOUR-BUSINESS"-DOT-ORG.
