Council member Manny Teodoro recently joined The Water Entrepreneur podcast to discuss the future of drinking water and a forthcoming book, Safe Drinking Water Act: The Next Fifty Years. Manny led the effort and served as editor of the book, which includes contributions from a wide range of experts, including Water Health Advisory Council members. The book stems from the Madison Declaration, a collaborative initiative that brings together scholars and practitioners to examine how federal drinking water policy must evolve to meet modern realities. While the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has delivered enormous public health benefits over the past five decades, today’s water systems face mounting pressure from aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and increasing regulatory complexity. The conversation focuses on the long-term changes necessary to ensure water systems remain safe, reliable, and affordable.
As water utility rates continue to increase, Manny emphasized that the most affordable water will always come from the tap. Communities with well-run utilities that deliver high–quality tap water consistently provide a more affordable and reliable option than commercial alternatives. While rate increases can be frustrating, these investments are necessary to modernize systems and are far less costly than the alternative of allowing systems to fail or attempting to rebuild them entirely. The episode also addresses the growing need for utility consolidation. Systems serving only a small number of customers often struggle to maintain infrastructure, retain staff, and meet regulatory requirements. Consolidation can help ensure utilities are large enough to operate efficiently, protect public health, and keep rates affordable.
The discussion reinforced the need to move beyond short term fixes and toward long term maintenance of water systems. Protecting public health over the next fifty years will require stronger governance, realistic investment strategies, and a willingness to rethink how drinking water is managed. Delivering safe and reliable tap water is not only a technical challenge, but also a public health obligation that depends on building utilities designed to serve communities for generations.
The Safe Drinking Water Act: The Next Fifty Years is published! The book is publicly accessible to download for free online, but it will also be available for purchase in hard copy, with pre–orders currently available on Amazon.
Listen to the full episode here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3lRvGiYumguC64tsCgZ258?si=fvLbR3DHSx2kQDiSGLGtFg
Apple:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-132/id1638829347?i=1000747820989