Water

Much of the US’ water infrastructure is in poor condition – dams, levees, and stormwater infrastructure all grade a D, while wastewater (D+) and drinking water (C-) are not faring much better. All of this infrastructure is critical in keeping communities and people safe – preventing flooding, maintaining clean drinking water, and effectively treating wastewater. Similar to roads and bridges and power infrastructure, much of the water infrastructure was built more than 50 years ago and has not received adequate funding or maintenance throughout its life. Further complicating the issue, a lot of water infrastructure is privately owned or under complex state/local jurisdictions.

Dams and levees prevent flooding, store water for irrigation, mining and hydropower, and allow for recreation activities throughout all 50 states, but much of this infrastructure is 50+ years old putting it at risk for failures. Similarly, stormwater and wastewater management systems are being pushed to capacity or overwhelmed risking safe waters for marine life and drinking. The nation’s stormwater system includes 270 million storm drains and 3.5 miles of storm sewers, while the wastewater systems include 800,000 miles of public sewers and 500,000 miles of private lateral sewers and drinking water systems add another 2.2 million miles of underground pipes. Damage anywhere along these systems can lead to millions of dollars in repairs and remediation as well as public safety concerns.

It is critical to rehabilitate, replace, and expand the nation’s water infrastructure to ensure safe access to clean water for all Americans. Water is a harsh, corrosive material which requires extra care in the selection of construction materials in and around these systems.