Congressional support of water and sanitation for the poor

Water Advocates, an organization dedicated to increasing American support for worldwide access to safe, affordable and sustainable supplies of drinking water and adequate sanitation, recently announced a decision by Congress to support the appropriation of $300 million to implement the Water for the Poor Act. This press release points out that the appropriations bill still needs to be signed by the President, but if passed, this funding would represent discreet new dollars to address the critical global issue of lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation.

Our hope, of course, would be that some of this funding finds its way towards initiatives that draw from market mechanisms to assure long-term sustainability. Though $300 million is not life-changing in the scheme of investments being made by governments, individuals and corporations worldwide for charitable and commercial water and sanitation projects, it would make a tremendous difference if applied in a way that leads to lasting impact on the ground. 

In planning the use for new aid funds, I can imagine there is a dynamic tension between funding service-delivery models that subsidize the delivery of basic services, and funding more innovative but risky models that could lead to breakthroughs. Clearly, tackling major gaps in service in areas like drinking water and sanitation will require both. We will cross our fingers that these hard-won funds can support new efforts to engage private sector actors on the water and sanitation space, including innovators like WaterHealth International and Aqua-Aero Water Systems.