Lessons from the Network: State Revolving Funds
In the past four years, River Network’s deep involvement with advocates across the country who are advancing equitable water infrastructure investment through SRF policy change has led to progress, but it’s an ongoing and sometimes dishearteningly slow process. The SRF State Advocates Forum connects over 125 organizations across the country, sharing successes and roadblocks alike. Below, explore the work underway in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Milwaukee Water Commons (MWC) has advocated for more representative community engagement and active inclusion of stakeholders to inform the policies guiding the SRF program. In addition to convening public comments with local partners, and calling on Wisconsin’s SRF administrators to measure representative community engagement as a metric for success for the review of Intended Use Plans, MWC worked with Clean Wisconsin and the Healing Our Waters Coalition to connect with utilities around the state of Wisconsin to talk more about both the challenges and opportunities presented by the influx of funding through the SRF program, producing the WI Water Infrastructure Financing Memo.
Recorded in the Story Lounge during River Rally 2024, in Grand Rapids Michigan. Learn more at Alabama River Alliance’s Water Infrastructure Hub.
Alabama Rivers Alliance advocates for water infrastructure improvements to connect underserved communities with funding opportunities, increase climate resiliency within the state, and promote awareness of the SRF programs so communities can tap into these funding opportunities.
Spotlight on Southern States
Hear from Danielle Goshen from the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, Marie Campbell from Harpeth Conservancy (Tennessee), and Victoria Miller from Alabama Rivers Alliance in this video recording from September 2024 on advocacy in southern states, with a focus on Tennessee and Alabama. PolicyLink is leading a multi-year Southern SRF Analysis and Advocacy Project, with support from River Network. To learn more about this project and find policy recommendations and other resources produced by the organizations involved in southern states, explore this site.
