Championing Fair and Equitable Utilities with Victoria Johnson

The article is part two of the series, “Championing Equitable Infrastructure with Victoria Johnson,” illustrating equity approaches in infrastructure. Johnson spoke with the Data-Smart team about leading an equity advisory services practice, where her portfolio provides strategic management consulting to federal, state and local C-suite leaders in infrastructure, including water. This article focuses on her leadership in the water sector, where her expertise encompasses “identifying the burdens and benefits of infrastructure in underserved communities and working with government leaders globally to relieve environmental and socio-economic barriers to uplift historically marginalized groups.”

With $55 billion in federal funding allocated to the water sector through the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), this is a prime space for integrating equity in delivery of capital projects and building the workforce of the future. With intentionality, agencies can serve as anchor institutions to spur transformation and economic inclusion in cities nationwide through a variety of approaches and strategic partnerships across government, nonprofits, and the private sector. As shared in part one, Johnson has served as an advisor to the Biden-Harris administration since 2021, sharing expert insights on how to operationalize BIL through equitable approaches, including water equity, to meet increasing water demands.

Water equity refers to just and fair inclusion—a condition in which everyone has an opportunity to participate and prosper. Water equity occurs when all communities have access to clean, safe, affordable drinking water and wastewater services; are resilient in the face of floods, drought, and other climate risks; have a role in decision-making processes related to water management in their communities; and share in the economic, social, and environmental benefits of water systems. US Water Alliance

The US Water Alliance is a national nonprofit that advances policies and programs to secure a sustainable water future for all. The US Water Alliance brings together water utilities, business leaders, community-based organizations, leading engineering and design firms, environmental justice advocates, and philanthropic partners to find common ground solutions to our nation’s most pressing water challenges. Johnson has worked with the US Water Alliance since 2017 in partnership with over 200 cross-sector members and partners to co-create a shared vision and tangible action plans to realize water equity in communities nationwide. In 2017, the Alliance released its report An Equitable Water Future, which detailed the water-specific challenges faced by historically marginalized communities and outlined three pillars to advance water equity:  having access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking and wastewater services; sharing in the economic, social, and environmental benefits of water systems; and resiliency in the face of floods, droughts, and other climate risks.

Pillar One:

There are many ways municipalities are working to make sure residents have access to safe, clean, and affordable water, with lead pipe replacement work leading the way in many cities. As there is no safe level of lead in water, due to the significant health complications of ingesting lead, there is a federal push to support municipalities in replacing old lead pipes. Affordability is also a priority, as demonstrated in Philadelphia where the Philadelphia Water Department has used data to prevent water shutoffs, to ensure  that residents experiencing challenges paying water bills were not penalized by losing access to clean water. This was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, as access to clean water for sanitation and hand washing helped prevent infection and spread of disease.

Pillar Two:

Workforce training and inclusive job opportunities in the water sector can maximize community and economic benefits. Additionally, contracting with small, minority-, and women-owned businesses removes barriers and increases opportunities for historically underutilized businesses. Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) was one of the first seven utilities in the Water Equity Taskforce; their work focused on creating a roadmap to increase job and procurement opportunities for underrepresented groups in the local community.

Pillar Three:

Water is a natural resource at risk from climate change and global warming, while at the same time necessary to combat climate-related disasters like forest fires and droughts. In California, some water utilities are using data and digital tools to assist with water conservation, while leaders in Baton Rouge are using collaborative maps to understand flooding and rebuild after natural disasters. This is an especially salient equity issue, as those hardest hit by climate disasters are often low-income and have the hardest time recovering.

Following An Equitable Water Future, the US Water Alliance launched a national Water Equity Taskforce in 2017 of seven cities dedicated to advancing water equity in communities through more diverse and innovative water management as well as authentic community partnerships. Launched by former US Water Alliance Chief Executive Officer Radhika Fox, who recently sunsetted her appointment by President Biden where she served as Assistant Administrator of the Office of Water at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the initial Taskforce represented cities anchored by utilities working collaboratively across a myriad of issues including environmental justice; affordability; public health and water quality; workforce development and racial equity. The seven participating cities (Atlanta, Buffalo, Camden, Cleveland, Louisville, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh) are urban centers with diverse socio-economic demographics and environmental challenges.

This work resulted in seven community-specific Water Equity Roadmaps, where Johnson served as a contributor and co-author, and generated significant insights into how to advance water equity at scale. The interest in this work was so large, that the US Water Alliance converted the initial taskforce into a national Water Equity Network and now supports 53 communities across the country with educational opportunities, peer-based learning and deep place-based work with new Taskforces dedicated to workforce development, water affordability and community partnerships.

To learn more about the origins of this work, the Data-Smart team talked with Johnson, an inaugural member of the original Water Equity Taskforce since its inception in 2017; she is also a member of the Alliance’s One Water Council and serves as an advisor on the new Racial Equity and Community Partnerships Taskforce, launched in 2024. “Communities nationwide illustrate what makes our country so vibrant, diverse and resilient,” said Fox, now Principal at North Star Strategy. “Partnerships and collaboration across government, community-based organizations, nonprofits and the public and private sectors are essential to ensure we are co-creating solutions that benefit us all. Victoria’s partnership throughout the years demonstrates the impact of multi-sector partnerships to build more thriving and sustainable communities.” Their shared vision for addressing structural inequities and systemic disparities among chronically underserved groups in partnership with utility leaders spurred intense work with Network cities throughout the US. 

Kishia L. Powell, currently the general manager and CEO of WSSC Water in Laurel, Md., and past chair of the US Water Alliance One Water Council, previously collaborated with Johnson during her tenure as Commissioner of the city of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, as well as at DC Water where she served as Chief Operating Officer. As Atlanta was also a member of the US Water Alliance’s original Water Equity Taskforce, Powell and her team oversaw the inception and development of the utility’s first water equity roadmap “An Equitable Water Future: Atlanta” with Johnson’s assistance.

Globally, only 18 percent of workers in the water sector are women, according to a Women in Water Utilities: Breaking Barriers report, published by the World Bank Group. Powell has also worked with Johnson to provide thought leadership on a variety of efforts including an international Water Resilience Collaboration Series with cross-sector partners in Australia, and advocating for women in the workforce at the Water Women Table presented by the WaterRising Institute’s Water Woman Project, where Johnson served on the advisory board. “Victoria has dedicated her career to this work and continues to be a strong partner and leading voice across multiple infrastructure sectors to ensure that a rising tide lifts all boats,” Powell said.

Johnson has also worked across New York and New Jersey in collaboration with state and municipal leaders through a variety of community-centric and workforce efforts led by the Buffalo Sewer Authority (BSA), New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the city of Newark Department of Water and Sewer. BSA General Manager and past US Water Alliance President Oluwole (OJ) McFoy, champions equity approaches across multiple platforms, maintaining “an equity mindset, with a focus on creativity and innovation” to ensure that “Buffalo strategically invests in its water future, while keeping rates affordable for financially vulnerable families,  as reflected in “An Equitable Water Future: Buffalo”  led by McFoy and his team. In addition to the Water Equity Taskforce, Johnson has worked with McFoy in a variety of initiatives including the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Infrastructure leaders throughout New York have also championed an array of equitable approaches, including providing job opportunities for underrepresented groups including youth, re-entry citizens, and black and brown residents. At the United Nations (UN) Water Conference hosted at the UN headquarters in New York City in 2023, Johnson moderated a Gender and Youth panel in partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the Water Woman Project.

Today, the Water Equity Network’s continued growth and impact is attributed to the leadership and advocacy of multiple water equity champions including the new US Water Alliance CEO and former Board Chair Mami Hara, who took the reins in 2021 as well as the leadership of the nearly 200 member organizations and partners from across the country. Johnson is recognized as a key early adopter and thought leader contributing to collective action and innovative approaches to address pressing challenges in the water sector, with the US Water Alliance as a key partner in this work. The time is more critical than ever to develop multi-benefit solutions that alleviate these challenges.

Tony Parrott, CEO/Executive Director at Louisville MSD, and Board Member of the US Water Alliance is another strong national advocate for spurring economic development through water infrastructure. “Victoria has been a strong partner to MSD in this work and contributed to the early development of our Community Benefits Program and our Water Equity Roadmap, as well as co-authoring “An Equitable Water Future: Louisville,” said  Parrott. In partnership with Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg, Parrott co-chairs a multi-agency, city-wide Equity in Contracting Taskforce “to reduce barriers and create tangible contracting opportunities for local minority and women-owned businesses to support capacity-building and growth,” he reported.  The Taskforce has more than $5 billion in capital expenditures over the next five years to dedicate to equitable contracting.

Call to Action

Johnson explained that the US Water Alliance's strategic framework for 2024-2027 emphasizes collaborative efforts to achieve water equity goals, such as the Water Pricing Model for Equity and Financial Resilience. Piloted in 2023, this model aims to ensure fair pricing structures that accommodate vulnerable communities while fostering financial sustainability. “Moving forward, integrating climate action into all water management decisions and ensuring community members can participate in water governance decisions will be crucial for every community in our country — no matter the size,” shared Renee Willette, Chief Strategy Officer at the US Water Alliance. “Having forward-thinking and collaborative partners will be key.”

Johnson’s dedication to the growing water equity movement since 2017, and her continued work to put people at the center of infrastructure, illustrates her passion and commitment to water equity. With accelerating climate impacts, water insecurity and failing infrastructure, there is a heightened urgency for people to find common ground solutions on water. In the “Water’s Net Zero Plus” report, the US Water Alliance outlines a call to action for climate mitigation and seven elements of cultural transformation needed for an equitable and decarbonized water future. Johnson served as a contributor and member of an Imagination Team comprised of over 35 water sector leaders convened to codesign the US water sector’s climate and sustainability vision for 2050.

Federal agencies, particularly EPA, have played a pivotal role in advancing water equity. Policies such as IIJA and a myriad of EPA grants have allocated over billions of dollars for water infrastructure projects, with a focus on environmental justice and equity. As the landscape of water management and governance evolves, Johnson shared that advancing water equity includes ongoing advocacy to adopt a permanent Low-Income Household Assistance Water Program (LIWHAP), and expanding a pilot program launched in 2021-2022 to provide funds to assist low-income households with water and wastewater bills. During the two-year pilot led by Water Agency Leaders Alliance in partnership with EPA and the US Department of Health and Human Services, LIHWAP served 84,759 households, prevented 19,233 water disconnections, helped 4,889 families restore water services, and assisted 56,921 families reduce their water bills. Ongoing efforts to pass the bipartisan Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act to adopt a permanent program will help working families pay for clean drinking water and other wastewater services by subsidizing utility bills of eligible households.

With a changing political landscape in the US in 2025, Johnson shared that access to safe, clean, affordable infrastructure across water, energy, transportation, aviation and transit will continue to be an essential need for all cities nationwide. Johnson and her fellow leaders at the federal, state and municipal levels will persist in working together to continue to steward infrastructure through comprehensive, multi-benefit solutions that create thriving, sustainable communities for all.

In closing out this two-part series, Johnson reiterated the commitment to building equitable infrastructure remains strong, as infrastructure will always be critical to the vitality and future of cities nationwide, with unlimited opportunities to advance environmental, workforce and economic development to uplift and transform communities. “Our collective work will continue to be led by guiding principles centered in people, innovation, technology, equitable capital planning, and data-driven approaches to continue building the workforce and infrastructure of the future,” Johnson concluded.