Water Infrastructure Workshop
Illinois, Indiana and Michigan
August 11-14, 2024
Communities across the country are grappling with aging water infrastructure, and for millions of Americans a safe, reliable water supply can no longer be taken for granted. From boil-water advisories to lead service lines to ruptured water mains, utilities struggle to patch fragile systems together.
The federal government has stepped in to help, with funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law flowing into states to try to fix some of these problems. Money helps, but some issues are symptoms of larger systemic flaws, and many stakeholders say it is time to rethink how we move, treat and price our most vital resource.
In August, the Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources conducted a three-day workshop for journalists that explored some of these stories in Chicagoland, northwestern Indiana and southwestern Michigan. Journalists met with policymakers, water utilities, engineers, community organizations and concerned citizens who are all working to keep the taps flowing.
Participating Journalists:
Post-Workshop Stories
Climate Disasters Are Revealing the Vulnerability of US Water Systems - Colleen Hagerty, Sierra Magazine
EPA Gives Chicago Decades to Replace Lead Pipes, Leaving Communities at Risk - Nina Elkadi, Inside Climate News
Joliet, Illinois, Plans to Source Its Future Drinking Water From Lake Michigan. Will Other Cities Follow? - Nina Elkadi, Inside Climate News
42,000 D.C. homes have lead pipes. Can the city replace them in ten years? - Nina Elkadi, The 51st
Benton Harbor eyes data center as lifeline to troubled water system - Garret Ellison, MLive
This workshop was made possible by the support of the Joyce Foundation.