From the Rust Belt to the Water Belt
The Great Lakes region has the potential to become the world’s Water Belt where genius infrastructure balances problems of flooding and drought as it supports economic growth and widespread stability.
The region’s waterfront Superfund sites can become corridors of clean industry and regenerative production.
Trend reversing change from the Rust Belt to the Water Belt portends a stable future, but it cannot occur without some important upgrades.
The overabundance of lead service lines must be traded out immediately.
Water must be affordable and accessible for every resident and take priority over subsidizing private enterprise.
Infrastructure of water treatment and distribution needs to make the most of every single drop.
Vitally, money made from the local water supply must be reinvested in its preservation and advancement.
The necessary upgrades are both technical and social. Because they impact all life in the watershed, the upgrades must be guided by ethics rather than profit motives. We propose three basic principles to guide the transformation: keep water public, keep water clean, and keep water here.
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