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    EPA: US needs $300B in sewer, water work

    By MICHAEL GORMLEY | Associated Press – Wed, Feb 8, 2012

    ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A federal study shows municipalities nationwide need more than $300 billion worth of essential upgrades to long overlooked water and sewer systems over the next 20 years.

    The need is acute in Northeastern states with older systems like New York, which needs $29.7 billion worth of improvements, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Wednesday. But he said that price is a "just a drop in the bucket" compared to the higher cost of continuing to upgrade parts of sewer and water systems when emergencies strike. He is pushing a bill that would counter planned funding cuts in the federal transportation bill now being negotiated in Washington.

    "EPA found that the nation's 53,000 community water systems and 21,400 not-for-profit, non-community water systems will need to invest an estimated $334.8 billion between 2007 and 2027," stated the federal Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment, which is updated every four years.

    The National Association of Counties' 2008 report estimated the need for water and sewer upgrades at $300 billion to $450 billion nationwide and the federal stimulus project provided just a fraction of that as the recession reduced local governments' revenues.

    "This is a very serious concern," said Carolyn Berndt of the National League of Cities. "Many communities have a long-term plan to replace all their underground water infrastructure, but even if they do a couple percentages of pipes a year, it's still going to take over 100 years for some of them to replace it all."

    She said local governments have been paying more than 95 percent of the cost of water and sewer upgrades since the 1990s as federal aid has declined. Schumer said federal aid covered 75 percent of local costs in the 1980s and 1970s.

    "It's a huge undertaking," Berndt said. "Some of these pipes are 100 years old. That's why they continue to see water main breaks."

    The group supports Schumer's effort, which comes as Congress works to cut spending.

     

    55 comments

    • geniusandinsanitywalkdown ...
      geniusandinsanitywalkdown ...  •  Tallahassee, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      The lack of proper sewer systems helped cause the plague (not that we should worry at all)
      • Joel
        Joel 3 mths ago
        What are you?.12?Why say the obvious?
      • Tommy
        Tommy 3 mths ago
        Yeah but we have so many prescription drugs and toxins in there....nothing could survive to spread
      • geniusandinsanitywalkdown ...
        geniusandinsanitywalkdown ... 3 mths ago
        duh, joel, if this were obvious, we wouldnt be so in the hole, so to speak, we would have been doing this all along
    • Non Dimenticar
      Non Dimenticar  •  3 mths ago
      Shovel Ready Jobs
    • Francis
      Francis  •  Duluth, Minnesota  •  3 mths ago
      I have read that 40% of the potable water in this country never gets to the end user because it leaks out of the old pipes. Bring the troops home. Cut Defense spending 35%. Spend American money right here in America fixing our own problems.
    • My Opinion
      My Opinion  •  3 mths ago
      That amount will fix San Diego, CA. I don't know about the rest of the country
      • Joel
        Joel 3 mths ago
        Nothing could fix california.Too many wannabes and future politicians from hollywood.
    • Kevin Wilson
      Kevin Wilson  •  Hood River, Oregon  •  3 mths ago
      Here is jobs project, and guess what I have a shovel and I am willing to dig the ditches needed for the new sewer lines.
    • Gerald
      Gerald  •  Grand Rapids, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      Well the cities better start saving there money because the fed govt dont have it.
    • startover
      startover  •  3 mths ago
      it is true in my town there is a water leak being patched up every day sometimes as many #$%$ a day,the bad thing is they allways have to go back to the same spots to fix them over and over again.we are in a stage 2 water shortage and these leaks just being patched up does not adress the real problem.the need for federal dollars to upgrede these 100 year old pipes.
    • Hondo
      Hondo  •  Sacramento, California  •  3 mths ago
      well if its got to be done well then it needs to be done.. lets figure out how we can make it happen.. a solution to this problem involves more then just throwing money at it. Lets figure out a way to limit spending and re-dirct our financial resource toward necessary priorities.. as well we (publicly owned municipal utility districts) could use abundant natural resources like solar, wind, and hydro-electric power to help pay for it.. produce some resources, pay off the debt, and rebuild America's dwindling infrastructure. Just a thought!
      • Archangel
        Archangel 3 mths ago
        Sewer and Water systems are not the responsibility of the federal government they are the responsibility of Local municipalities and cities and the EPA should be closed down and gotten rid of!
      • Joel
        Joel 3 mths ago
        Yes,let's send them some green money.What?? There's none left?Why's that?
      • les
        les 3 mths ago
        "Archangel" you are either to young to remember what it was like before the EPA, when rivers caught fire from the chemical waste in them, the air was unbreathable in most of our cities, you couldn't even swim in most the rivers, let alone eat the fish, when communities such as Love Canal started dying wholesale from waste buried under the ground...or you are just an idiot parroting everything your fellow idiot Rush says. Either way you are a waste of our precious air.
    • JOHN
      JOHN  •  3 mths ago
      We need as a country to find some way to co-operate when we are discussing projects that if built correctly can last 100's of years. We need some planning that reflects that time scale. I don't know if a 2 yr. Congress, a 6 yr Senate and a 2 term President can think or operate in that time scale. I have opposed term limits for this reason we get rid of people when they're just figuring out the job.
      • Michael
        Michael 3 mths ago
        fixing the sewer system doesn't require "national cooperation" lol. just fix your local systems. sewers are not interconnected! lol
      • Archangel
        Archangel 3 mths ago
        Correct, Sewer and water mains are the problems of cities and municipalities not the Federal Govrnment
      • Joel
        Joel 3 mths ago
        We have 20 years according to EPA to fix it.So why are they trying to scare everyone.Could be people are tired of the EPA.That department was needed but they have turned into a roadblock for American's freedom from foreign products and American inventiveness.Get rid of the management of EPA and hire someone that's for America.
    • Robert
      Robert  •  Everett, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      Poetic Justice. We've spent our National Treasure to destroy others but only hurt ourself.
      • Joel
        Joel 3 mths ago
        Lol.your quite the liberal, America hating muslim aren't you?
      • Tommy
        Tommy 3 mths ago
        Actually we've done a pretty good job of destroying others and hurting ourselves.
    • Chuckie
      Chuckie  •  3 mths ago
      It's amazing that we had money to build all this infrastructure. Now, we can't even fix it. At least the rich are saving billions on their taxes.
    • mr wallace
      mr wallace  •  3 mths ago
      We may be backwards in West Viriginia but were I live we have new water and sewer works. And you would not believe how far out in the sticks they run service too. Thanks to the oil and gas boom.
    • idiotrepulsicans
      idiotrepulsicans  •  Seattle, Washington  •  3 mths ago
      The pukes just love to suck pork but hate to tackle the problem on a national level.
    • Archangel
      Archangel  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      300 Billion won't even repair Chicago's sewers!
    • Svanka
      Svanka  •  Murrieta, California  •  3 mths ago
      Inadequate sewer systems can lead to horrific environmental messes. Not to mention, the risk of water contamination. Also, this would create many jobs. If the EPA says 300B is required, find a way to pay for it.
    • forrest p
      forrest p  •  La Vergne, Tennessee  •  3 mths ago
      300 billion in sewer work? Hell, that's in Washington , D.C. alone.
    • ikihi
      ikihi  •  3 mths ago
      stop spending so much on the wars and theres your money.
    • It Is What It Is
      It Is What It Is  •  3 mths ago
      Cancel the F-35 Fighter project and allocate those funds to upgrade our sewer and water infrastructures! At least then we all get something in return for our tax dollars!
    • Katie
      Katie  •  Portland, Oregon  •  3 mths ago
      For you liberals with short memories, the infrastructer improvements are what Odimmer wanted to spend that trillions of dollars of our money two years ago. Infrastructer improvements and jobs, . What actually happened is that our money went to buying votes for our dear leader, and creating jobs at $435,000 a piece little was spent on projects. Just more lies from the liar in chief.
    • Indy57
      Indy57  •  3 mths ago
      No problem! Obama, get out our checkbook!
     Post a comment
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