America’s Aging Water Infrastructure
Tell Congress to Renew America’s Water. Help keep our water clean and safe.
Most Americans — 86 percent — get their household water services from a public utility. But public utilities are struggling financially to meet federal clean water standards and to maintain and modernize water systems.
While American tap water is still among the safest in the world, our water infrastructure, including pipes, is aging and deteriorating under the weight of age and of more people needing household water service. The consequences include sewage spills that render our water unsafe for drinking, swimming, fishing, and wildlife and water main breaks that cause property damage and service interruptions.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that hundreds of billions of dollars are needed to address these problems. But federal funding for water systems has declined rapidly over the past twenty years and states and municipalities simply do not have the money they need to maintain and upgrade their water systems.
Multinational water corporations are taking advantage of this lack of funding and the economic downturn by trying to buy or control public water systems. Once in control of our water systems, the new private operators make decisions based on short-term profits, rather than community needs.
Instead of irresponsible private investment schemes, we need to plan ahead for future generations and create a dedicated source of public funding so that communities across America can keep their water clean, safe and affordable. Water is a vital resource, critical for all of us. Tell Congress it’s time to Renew America’s Water.