Presidential candidates talk water infrastructure at Las Vegas forum

LAS VEGAS, NV, FEB 17, 2020 -- Four presidential candidates discussed the need to repair existing infrastructure and construct systems that meet future needs at a public forum in Las Vegas.

The Moving America Forward forum, organized by the nonpartisan United for Infrastructure and co-hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), was held Feb. 16 on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus.

While all presidential candidates, including President Trump were invited to participate in the event, only Joe Biden, Tom Steyer, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Pete Buttigieg took the stage to discuss their outlook on infrastructure issues.

“[There is] an extreme need on our part to collect water more carefully, use water more carefully and reuse water more efficiently,” Steyer said when asked about water issues in the West. His plan would spend $500 billion for clean water systems and parks across the U.S., and if elected, Steyer says he will declare a climate emergency on day 1 in office.

Former Vice President Joe Biden also weighed in on issues related to repairing aging water and wastewater infrastructure in the country, saying, “We’ve got to dig up old pipes, but the new pipes we put in should be a lot more resilient.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar said, “one of the interesting things about water projects is that they are not always the bright shiny objects for the political ribbon-cutting that you have with highway overpasses or with a brand-new commuter rail system. But they are just as important.”

When asked about new rollbacks for federal protection of waterways, Buttigeig responded, “The problem with the rollbacks [is] they are actually about lowering the standard of water quality.”

You can view the full video and watch the candidates answers on transportation, roads and other infrastructure issues here.