Despite being the most important state in the 2020 election, Georgia is not even among the 10 states receiving the most funding from the Biden administration. Of the billions of dollars allocated to Georgia, most of it has gone to maintaining roads and bridges, with only a small amount going to water infrastructure. Of that funding, $510 million has been dedicated to clean water and $95.5 million to repair water mains across the state.
Consider that much of the damage caused by burst pipes occurred in Black communities that were purposely created as flood zones for white neighborhoods and businesses during the Jim Crow era. The ongoing flooding, burst pipes, and sewage overflows are the result of structural racism and deliberate neglect. And despite an increase in new residents and real estate development, the effects of these past decisions remain, hurting our city more than ever before.
Gentrification, redevelopment, and new construction projects are dramatically changing Atlanta’s landscape, creating an ever-increasing need for infrastructure to keep up. Atlanta remains a low-density city, but the future carrying capacity of its downtown and surrounding areas will be much higher than it is today, and that capacity will require significant infrastructure investments to meet demand.
Investing in Atlanta’s infrastructure would be a bigger, more tangible show of support for an administration that wants to accomplish both: building more, providing funding to communities, tackling big infrastructure projects and addressing past inequities.
Atlanta is the region’s economic anchor, and the billions of dollars allocated to address modern issues are not enough. The city has allocated $1.6 billion in funding to address its water issues, but recognizes it needs a significant additional $8.7 billion to repair the system. This is on top of other needs in the metropolitan area. Atlanta’s neighbor, DeKalb County, is considering increasing spending on water-related issues.
One recent estimate puts repairing and rebuilding metro Atlanta’s water infrastructure at $200 million per year for 30 years. From a macro perspective, the joint proposal for additional funding for Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties could be the Biden Administration’s true infrastructure legacy, achieving more than the accomplishments of previous presidents and governors combined.
Given the president’s current low approval ratings, an alternative to holding multiple meetings in Atlanta would be to galvanize his campaign in Georgia by providing substantial funding to the state that put him in the White House in the first place.
King Williams is a freelance journalist based in Atlanta. His work has appeared primarily in Atlanta Voice, Atlanta Magazine and Decaturish. He also publishes an email newsletter, “The Breakdown with King Williams,” which can be found here. Source:.
