Municipalities and public sector organizations are increasingly considering and implementing sustainability principles into their capital planning, design, construction, and operations.
Sustainability can take various forms depending on the opportunities and priorities of each organization. One tool municipalities can use to develop and prioritize sustainability is the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s (ISI) Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework (Envision). Envision is a third-party sustainability rating system that is applicable to all types of civil engineering infrastructure projects throughout their lifecycles. Envision measures the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of an infrastructure project from planning all the way through decommissioning.
Water infrastructure is a vital part of our society, which impacts the personal security, public health, and economic viability of our cities. Yet, infrastructure is often underfunded and overlooked until it fails. As sustainability is trending to be a higher priority for infrastructure providers and infrastructure users, organizations are looking for opportunities to make their long-term infrastructure projects “greener.” Envision is one tool municipalities have begun to use to quantify, prioritize, and rate the sustainability of their water infrastructure projects. Envision can aid in the execution of sustainable project elements for water infrastructure and to support higher performance through more sustainable choices in infrastructure development.
WEF is conducting a survey to better understand how water utilities are implementing the use of Envision, and what barriers exist that may prevent them from effectively implementing sustainable project elements. The survey specifically addresses the use of Envision and aims to identify the pathways and barriers to the implementation of Envision.
The survey should take 15 minutes or less to complete. The results of the survey will be used to inform WEF members and ISI on the current prioritization of sustainability and Envision within the water infrastructure sector. The responses will be used to help improve the Envision framework and better cater to municipalities’ needs with respect to Envision. The results will be shared through a publicly accessible online platform.
To take the survey, click here
She received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in environmental engineering from Lehigh University.
Evan received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in environmental engineering from Virginia Tech. He is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia, North Carolina, and New York, as well as a credentialed Envision Sustainability Professional.