The Environmental Protection Agency calculates that utilities will need to invest $277 billion over the next two decades to repair and improve drinking water systems. Water industry engineers peg the number at $480 billion. Either way, it’s clear that large investments are needed, and the American taxpayer will bear the brunt of that burden.
Water main breaks are becoming more and more common, including:
- The eruption of an 84-year-old steam pipe in New York City
- A water main break in downtown Chicago that opened a 25-foot hole in the street
- A break in a water main in Denver underneath the I-25 freeway that disrupted interstate traffic
- A main break in Cleveland that took out a downtown square.
The EPA states that water utilities spend about $10.4 billion per year, but that figure has been flat over the past 20 years. Households will have to bear the brunt of the missing investment, with increases calculated between $550 and $7,000 per.
The A.P. has a detailed story about the level of the problem. The American Water Works Association also has resources on this topic. I’m guessing the same A.P. reporting team that pulled this story together also reorted on the Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water story.
It’s great to see such a critical resource, and necessity for life, gaining such public attention. The issues of water quality, dependability and expense will begin to affect individuals. One industry executive stated that, “water utilities are unique because the resource itself is free, but the infrastructure is expensive.” Soon that resource could dramatically increase in value due to transport and quality control expenses.
