Water industry urged to rise above protectionist attitudes

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Dan McCarthy, president and CEO of Black & Veatch’s global water business, advocates continued international collaboration and cooperation by the water industry despite protectionist approaches adopted by the United States and becoming more prevalent in other countries. His white paper, “Water didn’t start the fight: Potential impact of protectionist attitudes on water/wastewater industry,” is available online.

“As industry leaders, we didn’t start the fight,” McCarthy said. “But we must win it by continuing to promote a global perspective that moves beyond isolationism.”

In the paper, McCarthy notes that economic problems have fueled protectionist attitudes not only in large water and wastewater markets like the United States and China, but also in smaller markets like Canada. He expresses concern that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) may have done more harm than good for the U.S. water/wastewater industry by providing much less stimulus money than needed to address infrastructure needs and less than what may be lost as other countries respond to the “Buy American” legislation.

McCarthy points out that increasing protectionist measures and potential retaliation threaten to undo the industry’s strides to look beyond borders in addressing water and wastewater issues. “We need to continue to share best practices and help water utilities around the world understand each other’s points of views so that we reach a common goal of providing safe, clean, reliable water supplies for future generations in both developed and developing countries,” he said.

The white paper includes additional information and insights about ARRA and related waivers, the recent “Buy Chinese” edict, and retaliatory protectionist action under consideration in Canada. McCarthy calls for water industry leaders to “refuse to resurrect barriers that it has taken years to break down.”

As the senior executive of Black & Veatch’s global water business, McCarthy has experience in the provision of engineering, consulting, and construction services for the sector worldwide. With Black & Veatch and through professional organizations, he has served the water industry for more than 30 years.