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Miner, Cafe Kubal partner to promote water infrastructure in Syracuse

Tom Magnarelli
/
WRVO News
Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner at a Cafe Kubal in downtown Syracuse.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner is bringing more attention to water and infrastructure issues in the city of Syracuse. The city has partnered with local Café Kubal coffee shops as part of a national, “Imagine a Day Without Water” campaign with the nonprofit U.S. Water Alliance. It is meant to help drum up public support for water issues.  

Miner said Syracuse has an abundance of water it can market to grow the local economy.

“It’s a tremendous economic development resource, places like Café Kubal, distilleries, breweries, commercial laundry; it’s an asset,” Miner said.

Miner said traditionally, the federal and state governments have paid for the majority of infrastructure funding and the topic has recently been getting more attention. She said Syracuse can stand out by showing how the city uses data, such leak detection sensors, to track water main breaks.

“Our finite dollars that we invest in water infrastructure, we are using in a very smart and effective way; to be able to predict where water mains are going to break, to be able to efficiently maintain them when they do break, or to even prevent the breakage in the first place,” Miner said.

Miner said she will be pushing for more infrastructure development. The message of "No Water, No Coffee,” was put on Cafe Kubal coffee cups to raise awareness. It is a slogan used by another nonprofit, the American Water Works Association.   

Tom Magnarelli is a reporter covering the central New York and Syracuse area. He joined WRVO as a freelance reporter in 2012 while a student at Syracuse University and was hired full time in 2015. He has reported extensively on politics, education, arts and culture and other issues around central New York.