Climate Risk and Resilience Planning for Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Infrastructure in Coastal Communities

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 mitigation strategies are needed to maintain climate resilient communities. This paper highlights two case studies of climate vulnerability assessments, one focused on water and wastewater infrastructure in Wilmington NC, and the other on stormwater infrastructure in Alexandria VA.