The Water Foresight Podcast continues its exploration of the Madison Declaration with a deep dive into the "regulatory treadmill" that keeps water utilities running hard without making progress on critical threats facing our water systems.
• The Safe Drinking Water Act created a valuable framework for regulating contaminants, but has it reached a point of diminishing returns?
• Water utilities face a "regulatory treadmill" where they chase increasingly smaller contaminant risks while neglecting bigger threats
• Cybersecurity represents a major underappreciated risk that requires resources increasingly diverted to contaminant treatment
• Legislative reform is necessary, but water leaders shouldn't wait for Congress to address critical challenges
• The Madison Declaration advocates for a more balanced approach that values reliability, affordability, and sustainability alongside safety
• Consolidated water systems with proper scale better address both regulatory compliance and emerging threats
• Success requires aligning incentives across federal regulators, state agencies, and local utilities
• Leaders need "cover" to pursue reforms without being portrayed as weakening water quality standards
Join us for future conversations about the Madison Declaration as we reimagine the Safe Drinking Water Act's next 50 years.
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