Monday, March 19, 2018

Keep the Water Flowing in the U.S.


In the United States drinking water is delivered to homes and bussinesses through what is estimated to be a million miles of water pipes across the nation. Many of these pipes were laid in the early to mid-20th century with a lifespan of 75-100 years. The pipes are old and have not been adequately maintained. There are about 240,000 water main failures annually in the United States- almost 660 water mains break a day.

The sad condition of many of our highways, bridges, and transit systems is very evident to our eyes. However, water and sewage infrastructure is literally buried underground, out of sight and, usually, out of mind. It is often only when failures occur that we are reminded of how much we take for granted our access to safe drinking water. Nonetheless, the quality of drinking water in the United States remains high and the safest in the world. 

The U.S.EPA sets legal limits for over 90 contaminants in drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) allows states to set their own drinking water standards as long as the standards meet or exceed the EPA minimum. Smaller systems that serve under 10,000 people report that a lack of resources and personnel can limit the frequency of testing, monitoring, maintenance, and technical capability in their systems. Without sufficient funding and proper oversight water quality is threatened in these communities.

Water main breaks disrupt traffic and are expensive to fix, but also pose a health hazard. The positive pressure in water pipes is what keeps the bacteria from the soil and leaking sewer systems out of the water pipes. Drinking water and waste water pipes were generally run together in our cities and suburbs are crumbling and contributing to disease outbreaks and water supply disruptions. The National Institute of Health (NIH) believes that 36,700 infections and 18,400 illnesses occur each year due to contamination in public water systems; 2,200 infections and 1,100 illnesses occur each year from private wells. A review of reports of outbreaks the United States found that approximately 50% of all waterborne diseases occurred in small drinking water systems.

The last U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment was released in 2013. The survey showed that $384 billion in improvements are needed for the nation’s drinking water infrastructure through 2030 for systems to continue providing safe unlimited drinking water 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week to the 297 million Americans who depend on them. (It is estimated that 16 million households depend on private water supplies. Getting households to properly test and maintain their wells and septic systems is also a problem.) The lion’s share of the costs estimated by the EPA is for treatment ($72.5 billion to expand or rehabilitate infrastructure to reduce contamination) and distribution ($247.5 billion to replace or refurbish aging or deteriorating water mains). Using different methodology the American Water Works estimates that approximately a trillion dollars are needed to maintain, expand and improve our nation's water systems through 2050.

The majority of funding for drinking water infrastructure comes from the revenue generated by water rate payers. In the nation’s largest 50 cities, the rate users pay varies greatly from and average of $14.74 per month in Memphis, to $61.43 per month in Seattle. In our own region, water rates range from$25.26 in Arlington to $68.50 per month in Manassas Park. This large gap exemplifies the varied approaches to rate structure, as well as the contrast of need and investment across the country and in our regions.

Drinking water infrastructure is funded primarily through the rate‐based system, but water use has been falling and the investment has been inadequate for decades and will continue to be underfunded without significant changes to the rates charged. The quantity of drinking water sold for public supply in the United States has been relatively flat since 1985 even as the population has increased by approximately 70 million people over the same period. Water conservation efforts, including through water efficient fixtures, have had a significant impact in reducing per capita water usage. Water systems need to be funded and maintained. 

In the years ahead, rate payers will have to absorb the cost of infrastructure replacement and renewal, primarily through higher water bills. The amounts will vary depending on community size and geographic region, but American Water Works Association estimates that in some communities infrastructure costs alone could triple the size of a typical family’s water bills. While higher rates that reflect the true cost of service are important, public assistance programs should be considered for low income populations. 



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