This blog is about public utilities and progressive procurement. But we swear it isn’t boring! Because it’s also about how water shapes our lives, how community members are envisioning the future of water in Seattle, and how a public utility can support our local economy to thrive.
We don’t have to tell you that water is one of the most important resources on Earth. It flows through our bodies, our kitchens and bathrooms, our gardens, our sewer and drainage systems, our rivers and lakes. Unfortunately, growth and climate change have put increased pressure on our water systems and will continue to impact our water systems into the foreseeable future. That means, if we want to continue to rely on clean and abundant fresh water, we need to rethink how we manage our water supplies.
In 2019, Seattle Public Utilities launched a project called Shape Our Water to respond to these challenges. Not only did they want to protect our water supply. They also saw an opportunity to benefit our environment, Seattle’s residents, and our local economy at the same time.
First, Seattle Public Utilities spent two years talking to community members. They heard community members’ concerns, ideas, and hopes, which boiled down to four goals:
- Community and environmental health – Investments in water quality should lead to equitable outcomes, including the health of our communities and our local environment.
- Resilience – Future infrastructure investments need to be resilient and adaptable to the climate challenges Seattle will face in the years ahead.
- Multi-benefit investments – Drainage and wastewater investments should provide multiple benefits such as public space, economic development, and community cohesion, in addition to improving water quality.
- Community-centered partnerships – To build truly multi-benefit investments, Seattle Public Utilities must build meaningful partnerships with local communities, environmental organizations, other government entities, and many others.
Based on community input, and in collaboration with a group of community co-creators, Seattle Public Utilities created the Shape Our Water Community Vision, a key part of a 50-year plan for Seattle’s water resilience. It incorporates a commitment to equity, including racial and environmental justice; recognizes that water systems are connected to housing, education, living wage jobs, and more; and mandates continued community involvement as SPU implements the Shape Our Water plan.
Shape Our Water is a big project with a lot of moving parts. One small part is Community Wealth Building, and that’s where People’s Economy Lab comes in. Any time a public institution undertakes a development project, there’s an opportunity to support local businesses and workers and support the local economy. Seattle Public Utilities hired People’s Economy Lab to train and advise their employees on Community Wealth Building, and in particular one of Community Wealth Building’s strategies: progressive procurement.
Procurement is the means by which public institutions purchase goods and services, with decisions made on cost, quality, brand, and values. Progressive procurement uses public spending as a lever for local economic, social, cultural, and environmental gain, addressing challenges like poverty, inequality, the racial wealth gap, the gender wage gap, and more. Public institutions spend millions of dollars on goods and services, and how they choose to spend that money significantly influences local economies. For example, they can choose to order supplies from large corporations that make their products overseas and outsource labor from places where the minimum wage is much lower. They can also choose to purchase products and contract labor from small, local businesses owned by and employing people who live and work in the immediate vicinity–businesses that pay living wages and engage in environmentally friendly practices.
While Seattle Public Utilities already has a WMBE (women- and minority-owned businesses) policy in place, they see opportunities to do more. At a PEL-led workshop in December, SPU employees discussed and brainstormed ways to improve their progressive procurement practices. They had some great ideas, and we look forward to seeing how they develop in 2025 and beyond.
Shape Our Water Leadership Forum
In 2024, People’s Economy Lab also deepened our engagement with SPU by participating in the Shape Our Water Leadership Forum. Lab Leader Njuguna Gishuru had the privilege of contributing to this initiative, which brought together local leaders, municipal officials, environmental experts, and community members to co-create transformative strategies for Seattle’s drainage and wastewater future. Other organizations that contributed to the forum include Earth Corps, Chief Seattle Club, ECOSS, Puget Sound Sage and Dirt Corps.
The Leadership Forum was facilitated by Matt Eckohawk-Hayashi of Headwater People and Samantha Keller, SPU’s Shape Our Water Engagement Advisor. Together, we explored solutions aligned with our local community’s values, ensuring that our water infrastructure investments advance equity, resilience, and sustainability.
While the Forum concluded in Q4 2024, we look forward to building on this foundation and ensuring that water infrastructure serves not just the environment, but also the communities that rely on it every day.
What’s next?
In 2025, People’s Economy Lab is exploring a partnership with SPU’s Department of Corporate Planning and Policy to explore how the utility can better integrate Community Wealth Building into its existing community programs. This collaboration represents a significant step toward embedding economic justice into Seattle’s public utility investments.
