[미국] 크로펠니키 NAWC 의장, “고품질 음용수 공급 대단히 중요”
5월 19일 미국 하원 에너지 및 상무위원회 소위원회 청문회에 나와 증언

캘리포니아주 수도 서비스 그룹(California Water Service Group)의 사장 겸 최고경영책임자(CEO)인 마티 크로펠니키(Martin Kropelnicki)는 지난 5월 19일 미국 하원 에너지 및 상무위원회 소위원회 청문회에 나와 국립수도사업협회(National Association of Water Companies, NAWC)와 California Water Service Group을 대신하여 증언했다.

크로펠니키(Kropelnicki) CEO 겸 NAWC 의장은 연방정부의 안전 식수법을 개선을 위한 "안전한 식수법에 따른 자금 지원, 관리 및 준법 지원에 관한 식수 시스템 개선법 및 재정 확보, 수돗물 관리의 문제점 등을 청문회를 위해 사전에 서면으로 제출한 바 있다.

크로펠니키는 미국의 식수 인프라에 대한 필요성을 강조하고 공익기관 및 규제기관이 검토 할 수 있는 안전한 식수법에 대한 개정안 마련을 위해 노력하고 있는 소위원회에 박수를 보냈다.

크로펠니키는 "안전하고 신뢰할 수 있으며 고품질의 식수를 제공하기 위해 노력하고 있다. 깨끗하고 안전한 수돗물 공급은 이 국가의 모든 사람, 지역 사회 및 비즈니스에 필수적”이라고 강조했다.

크로펠니키의 증언은 전국의 식수 시스템을 개선하는 데 도움이 될 수 있는 두 가지 중요한 분야를 다루면서 제한된 연방의 예산이 효율적이고 현명하게 지출되도록 보장한다.

첫째, 공공 시스템이든 비공개이든, 모든 수도 시스템에 대한 효과적인 관리 관행과 책임을 수용하고 제정할 필요가 있다. 둘째로, 연방 보건 및 안전 표준을 지속적으로 준수하지 않는 식수 시스템에 대해서는 해결이 필요하다는 것이다.

크로펠니키는 "불행히도 노후화되고 악화되는 수자원 시스템은 경제적 활력과 공중 보건을 위협하며 지역 사회는 중요한 용수 및 하·폐수 기반을 대체하고 시스템을 효과적으로 관리하기 위해 막대한 재정적 어려움에 직면해 있다"면서  "결국 먹는물 시스템은 지역사회가 유지 관리하는 데 있어 가장 비싼 자산중 하나이며, 많은 자치단체 소유의 공공기관은 인프라를 개선하고 현대화하는 데에는 여력이 없다"고 강조했다.

크로펠니키는 “민간 수도회사는 수자원 인프라가 앞으로 직면하게 될 도전과제를 해결할 수 있도록 지방정부와 주정부 및 연방정부와 협력할 준비가 되어 있다”면서 “필요한 자본을 공급하는 것 외에도 복잡한 수자원 문제를 해결하는 수십년 간의 경험을 활용하여 새로운 수자원 인프라 프로젝트를 보다 빠르고 효율적으로 온라인으로 제공할 수 있다”고 강조했다.

[원문보기]

High quality drinking water "critical"

WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 19, 2017 - Martin Kropelnicki testified today on behalf of The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) and California Water Service Group before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Environment.

In his written testimony submitted for the hearing entitled "Drinking Water System Improvement Act and Related Issues of Funding, Management, and Compliance Assistance Under the Safe Drinking Water Act," Kropelnicki, President and CEO of California Water Service Group and President of the NAWC, discussed efforts to improve the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

In his opening remarks Kropelnicki applauded the work of the Subcommittee for highlighting America's drinking water infrastructure needs and for putting forward a discussion draft of amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act for utilities and regulators to review.

"We are all working toward the same outcome - safe, reliable, and high-quality drinking water, which is critical to every person, community, and business in this country," said Kropelnicki.

Kropelnicki's testimony addressed two critical areas that can help improve the drinking water systems across the country while also ensuring that limited federal dollars are spent efficiently and wisely. First, there is a need to embrace and enact effective utility management practices and accountability for all water systems, whether these systems are public or private. Second, there is a need to address those drinking water systems that are consistently non-compliant with federal health and safety standards.

"Unfortunately, aging and deteriorating water systems threaten economic vitality and public health, and communities nationwide are faced with massive fiscal challenges to replace critical water and wastewater infrastructure and effectively manage their systems," Kropelnicki said. "After all, water systems are one of the most expensive assets for a community to maintain, and many municipally-owned utilities simply cannot afford to properly maintain, let alone improve and modernize, their infrastructure."

Kropelnicki stated the private water sector stands able, ready and willing to partner with local and state governments, as well as the federal government, to help meet the challenges our nation's water infrastructure will face in the coming years. In addition to supplying necessary capital, private water companies can leverage decades of experience solving complex water challenges to help bring new water infrastructure projects online more quickly and efficiently.

Kropelnicki testified to the Subcommittee that a good first step, and as a general rule, applicants for public dollars should demonstrate that they have fully accounted for the long-term costs of their projects, including any risks inherent in construction, operations, and/or maintenance, and have selected the delivery model that provides the best long-term value to the water supplier's customers. For a community to maintain and improve the condition of its infrastructure, and to ensure its long-term safety and reliability, water utilities should be expected, at a minimum, to manage their assets based on a process where adequate repair, rehabilitation and replacement are fully reflected in management decisions and fully accounted for in water rates.

Kropelnicki went on to say all water suppliers in the country -- whether they are government- or privately-owned -- are public service providers, and their customers are comprised of taxpayers who fund programs such as the State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. He noted there has been a long-standing prohibition against private entities receiving Clean Water SRF funding for treatment works and, although the EPA does not prohibit such access to the Drinking Water SRF, some states have adopted blanket prohibitions. He urged Congress to seek to correct this imbalance by making future SRF funding contingent on states giving all water suppliers equal opportunity to apply for these funds.

The NAWC estimates that its six largest members alone are collectively investing nearly $2.7 billion each year in their water systems, and these six companies provide service to about six percent of the U.S. population. In contrast, the current total federal appropriation for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs is approximately $2 billion annually.

Kropelnicki concluded his testimony stating our current water infrastructure crisis has been in the making for several decades, and it may take several decades to change the direction and right the ship. "Today's dwindling resources and increasing demand for safe, reliable, and high-quality water require a fundamentally different approach than what we have taken over the last several decades," he concluded.

This hearing comes at a time when failing infrastructure has become a national topic of conversation. Earlier this year, President Trump's administration announced a $1 trillion plan to repair and maintain the country's systems for water, roads, bridges and railways. On May 15, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, giving infrastructure as a whole a grade of D+, and the country's water and wastewater systems grades of D and D+ respectively. And on May 3, the Natural Resources Defense Council released a report that 77 million people -- roughly a quarter of the U.S. population -- spread across all 50 states were served by water systems reporting violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2015. In contrast, the stellar drinking water quality compliance record of private water utilities is well documented.

[출처 = Water World(www.waterworld.com) / 2017년 5월 19일]