Case Studies on Climate Risk and Resilience Planning for Wastewater Infrastructure in Coastal Communities: Examples from NY, MA, FL, and NC

Communities across the US face uncertainty related to future climate and impacts these conditions may have on infrastructure, from extreme storm events, drought, and excessive heat. Coastal communities face the added challenge of sea level rise (SLR). SLR, coupled with storm surges from coastal storms, has the potential to impact an area’s infrastructure. One first step to mitigate the impact of SLR and changes in rainfall patterns on infrastructure is to identify what community assets could be impacted and what the consequence of this failure might be. Community planning workshops, vulnerability assessments, and targeted long-term adaptation strategies are needed to maintain climate resilient communities. This paper highlights four case studies of climate vulnerability assessments focused on wastewater infrastructure in New York NY, Boston MA, Miami-Dade FL, and Wilmington NC.