In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Lia Clark, Community Support Director at Water Finance Exchange and founder of Engineer With Empathy.
Lia shares her journey into water, from an orphanage service trip in China to working on some of the toughest water infrastructure challenges in underserved communities across Texas.
This conversation dives into:
• Why most small water systems struggle to access funding
• The reality behind state and federal infrastructure dollars
• Why water utilities must operate more like businesses
• The hidden barrier: trust, not just pipes and funding
• How “Engineer With Empathy” is reshaping how engineers work with communities
Key Takeaways:
• Most U.S. water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people and lack resources
• Funding exists, but access and complexity are major barriers
• Empathy and trust-building are critical to successful projects
• Sustainable water systems require financial literacy and long-term planning
#WaterInfrastructure #WaterFinance #Engineering #Empathy #Utilities #MakeWaterWork #WaterLeadership
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