Water, wastewater, stormwater, combined sewer overflows and watershed protection or management infrastructure play a critical role in the strength of the economy and public health by ensuring clean, safe water for Ohio's citizens, businesses and industries.

Infrastructure includes not only physical structures such as waterlines, sewers, decentralized on-site water and wastewater systems, water and wastewater treatment plants, but it also includes nonphysical measures such as best management practices and water conservation to protect and restore valuable water resources - streams, lakes, groundwater, and wetlands. Infrastructure can be owned by public, private, profit, nonprofit, and investor-owned entities. Local entities can be public, private, profit, nonprofit, and investor-owned.

The public often overlooks the importance of infrastructure until an event like a waterline failure or untreated sewage enters a waterway. Despite repeated episodes which attract public attention, many local officials remain reluctant to significantly increase user charges needed for infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation and improvements. This reluctance persists despite other evidence that the public is willing to pay for clean water, such as the increased purchases of bottled water (which is more expensive than tap water). Consequently, the prices and expenditures on infrastructure hardly reflect the true cost of providing clean, safe water.

Building technical, financial and managerial capability at the local level, strengthening planning and management coordination among all levels of government, and defining needs, sources of funding, and shortfalls of financing for infrastructure have been identified as a strategic issue.

In many instances, new and replacement construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of critical infrastructure have been postponed, resulting in infrastructure deterioration. At the same time, demand for new infrastructure in developing areas has outstripped existing capacity. The problem is compounded by increasing costs to meet new federally mandated regulations to reduce certain pollutants, inadequate planning and the trend towards the federal government providing less investment in infrastructure.

Small commercial systems and individual property owners in rural areas not served by public water and sewer also have a responsibility and need to maintain the private infrastructure for water supply and wastewater treatment on private properties. These private, decentralized systems represent a different challenge for local government for compliance, monitoring, and maintenance. Addressing these infrastructure challenges is critical to ensure clean, safe water for public health and continued economic development through sustainable water management.