President-elect Joe Biden speaks on climate in September 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images via Morning Consult)

In a time of political transition, president-elect Joe Biden’s message of change, progress, and unity comes as no surprise. The Biden administration’s plan to “build back better” includes investing in infrastructure for a sustainable future with a focus on the economy and job creation. The Biden administration is also in a unique position to tackle an issue that’s been pushed off for too long. With one in four Americans getting their water from sources deemed unsafe or not properly regulated, now is the time to improve water infrastructure in a way that centers the people it serves over cost and convenience.

Biden must ensure clean water by countering Trump’s attempts to dismantle clean water safeguards. Especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen firsthand how important clean running water is in maintaining a healthy population. 

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the US needs to invest at least $129 billion, almost three times as much as the US is currently spending, in water infrastructure to bring it up to acceptable standards. With nearly half of all water infrastructure in the US rated as poor by the American Water Works, water pipes are reaching the end of their lifetime and increasingly vulnerable to failures. Our actions today will shape water systems for the next century.

Not only should the planning and implementation process be made transparent — it should center around the need of people, not profit, in order to ensure long-term sustainability. We have seen the damage that comes from not doing so in the infamous lead contamination of Flint, MI, a post-industrial, predominantly Black city that continues to suffer from short-sighted actions of government officials and will for generations to come. 

Water issues are not isolated to urban areas; in fact, most violations of safe drinking water don’t happen in cities. Environmental pollution such as agricultural runoff and from coal mining complicates rural areas’ lack of existing infrastructure, funding, and general awareness of the need to improve conditions. Biden must work to not only update existing infrastructure, but to invest in clean water for all Americans. 

One place to start is increasing federal oversight of water regulation and the infrastructure renewal process. Lack of regular, reliable regulation makes it difficult for people to hold officials in charge accountable to higher standards. A reason for the decline in regulation quality is the decrease in funding especially during the Trump administration, even after Trump touted the importance of “crystal clear water” during his 2016 campaign.

The Trump administration rolled back the Clean Water Rule implemented during the Obama administration, which limited the bodies of water that need to be federally regulated. This is borne out of the fact that when it comes to our water, lawmakers prioritize costs over serving the public. 

The water itself is not the only thing that’s not being regulated: there is no federal oversight of the materials that plastic water pipes are made of. While the EPA regulates lead and copper pipes, the jury is still out on whether PVC pipes are an appropriate alternative, but that hasn’t stopped the plastic industry from capitalizing on this opportunity. Following the Flint water crisis, the plastic industry has been pushing PVC plastic pipes as practical, cost-effective replacement material. 

At first glance, the cheap and durable PVC pipes seem like a godsend especially for communities that need to replace their aging pipes fast to prevent a crisis like Flint. However, a 2013 study showed that as this plastic ages, it leaches into the water contaminants with uncertain health and environmental impacts. While there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all solution material for pipe replacement, the Biden administration can take a stand in setting higher regulatory standards to ensure Americans have access to the best quality water possible, not just the cheapest and most available–especially because these systems will serve generations to come. 

Temporary solutions such as bottled water and even more long term solutions such as home level filtration systems may bring immediate relief. However, the issues America faces with water infrastructure is a symptom of politicians’ failure to plan for the long term, and the problematic problem-solving approach of responding to crises rather than working to prevent them. 

The good news is, change is near. The appointments Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico as Interior Secretary and Michael Regan as head of the EPA signify the Biden administration’s commitment to meaningful, long-term change in terms of environmental justice. If Biden is true to his word, federal investment in water infrastructure will not only help improve access and quality of water, but also create up to 800,000 jobs — a much-needed relief in the face of unprecedented unemployment rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This willingness to ignore our infrastructure problems until there is no choice but to address them must end with the Biden administration with increased regulation, monitoring, and federal oversight to center the needs of the public above all else.