Water Online

JAN 2016

Water Innovations gives Water and Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.

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The year 2016 will see continued effort to build political will for water supply investment. Advocacy from the joint efforts of local and national leaders like the Value of Water Coalition and others is starting to open minds to the idea that investment in water infrastructure is essential, not just for drinking but also for economic, environmental, and social well-being. While these debates continue, some utilities are using risk-based asset management strategies to squeeze additional performance from existing systems and set priorities. Risk analysis can lead to insights that put planning on solid ground, while enabling leaders to present choices to investors and the public. Recognizing risk and defining the level of tolerance for risk produces a stronger business case, whether support is public or private. More practically, the data collected to measure risk also helps create a more useful picture of the entire lifecycle of a facility. Used for asset management, these strategies produce more efficiency and enable utilities to prolong the life of existing systems, which will remain essential in 2016 until more long- term projects get off the ground. Trend #6: Leading Cities Promote Resilience For Competitive Advantage Cities compete to attract more jobs and to be recognized as thriving, vibrant, and desirable places to live and do business. The ability to rebound quickly and successfully from shocks and stresses is essential for a city to remain competitive, investable, and livable. Leading cities now promote water capacity and resilience as key levers for economic development and investment. Increasingly, businesses look at cities' resiliency claims and assess potential risks when deciding where to locate. As a result, a reliable water supply and a reputation for managing flood risk are qualities on corporate relocation checklists. Water systems will need to find ways to leverage their capacity and system integrity in the competition for funding. In addition, the more resilient the city, the greater its ability to attract investment. Investors want the same reassurances that businesses do. It's only a matter of years before bond investors develop indices for measuring resiliency to price the risks in and around cities. How well cities mitigate those risks will directly affect their perceived attractiveness and their ability to raise capital. Even today, more and more companies are developing environmental and social sustainability standards as a way to measure and communicate their sustainability to capital investors (e.g., the Dow Jones Sustainability Index). Trend #7: Building Resilient Destinations As we move into 2016, cities will see the value in building resilient destinations that incorporate civil flood protection with green, low- impact design features, thereby enabling the creation of investable development zones that can generate revenues to offset the cost of the critical infrastructure while creating emotional attachment areas that raise civic pride. For example, the High Line in New York City, a repurposed, abandoned elevated train spur, has turned into a destination enjoyed by residents and tourists alike and has drawn further economic development along its corridor. In the same way, the proposed flood defenses for Manhattan, dubbed by some "The Dry Line," are being developed to protect the city from storm surge and sea-level rise, while also attracting people to a landscaped promenade with the potential for mixed-use real estate development. Cities and utilities can be heartened that trends are pointing to more ways to cope with perennial resilience issues, from knowledge-sharing through platforms like 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, to progress in risk- based planning. Investors and ratepayers alike are increasingly acknowledging the value of water. As resiliency becomes more of a mainstream issue, let's hope 2016 is the year when this momentum finally produces sustainable funding — in time to meet the next resiliency challenge. n 10 wateronline.com n Water Innovations RESILIENCY John Batten is the Global Water and Cities Director for Arcadis, leading a global team dedicated to delivering outcomes that improve quality of life, safely and sustainably. As an industry thought leader on all aspects of resiliency, Batten's 30 years in the consultancy sphere include management of water utilities and public health facilities. About The Author Water desalination plant construction in Carlsbad, CA Manhattan's East Side Coastal Resilience project concept combines storm surge defense and mixed use. (Credit: Image Courtesy of BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group)

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