By Nyesha Stone
Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin sat down with the Water Council and Wisconsin manufactures to discuss innovative solutions pertaining to Wisconsin’s drinking water.
“We have significant water challenges across the state…and the type of innovation that can come from these types of partnerships are quite amazing,” said Baldwin.
According to Baldwin, since she’s on a recess until after Labor Day she has a lot of time to travel the state to listen to what the problems are when it comes to water, which include contaminants in the water and invasive species.
“I want to make sure that we are creating opportunities for innovators to be a part of that so that we’re not just solving today’s problems with replicas of 19th and 20th solutions,” Baldwin said. “Let’s think about what can keep people safer.”
Baldwin also discussed the Water Technology Acceleration Act, which she introduced last year in June. The point of the bill is to “establish an innovative water technology grant program and to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to encourage the use of innovative water technology, and for other purposes.”
Baldwin’s bill is focused on creating and installing new water technologies to address problems with drinking water across the country, and Wisconsin.
Baldwin spoke on a few points but she really wanted to hear what everyone else had to say.
Baldwin said she will focus on why certain companies are delaying new water treatment from a recommendation suggested by the panel. It was also suggested to help fund local communities so they can invest and install higher-tech wastewater systems.
The hour-long panels are just stepping stones to fixing a larger problem that are communities need fixed now.