Written by: Danish Kumar, University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center (UMD)
More than 50 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, what can we learn from its impact on small communities? In this episode, Dr. Rhiannon Jerch discusses how the Clean Water Act shaped municipal finances, improved water quality, and influenced long-term community growth. We explore how small municipalities financed major wastewater infrastructure investments, the role of user fees and federal funding, and what these findings can teach today’s communities as they plan for future water infrastructure challenges.