Aging Water Infrastructure - The NLC Service Line Warranty Program by HomeServe

The definitive report on U.S. infrastructure illustrates the deep challenges the nation faces in upgrading its water and wastewater systems. The U.S. received an overall grade of “D+” on the 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card. Wastewater and drinking water infrastructure scored a “D+” and a “D,” respectively.

The ASCE defines a “D” grade as one that finds “the infrastructure is in poor to fair condition and mostly below standard, with many elements approaching the end of their service life. A large portion of the system exhibits significant deterioration. Condition and capacity are of serious concern with strong risk of failure.”

Wastewater

Funding

Non-Revenue Water

Water Conservation

Private Water

Related Articles

Back to Top

Wastewater and Water Infrastructure improvements

According to the report on Wastewater, nearly 240 million Americans – 76% of the population – rely on the nation’s 14,748 treatment plants for wastewater sanitation. By 2032 it is expected that 56 million more people will connect to centralized treatment plants, rather than private septic systems – a 23% increase in demand. In the U.S., there are over 800,000 miles of public sewers and 500,000 miles of private lateral sewers connecting private property to public sewer lines.

The report on Drinking Water informs readers that drinking water is delivered via one million miles of pipes across the country, and that many of those pipes are coming to the end of their lifespan. Although the quality of drinking water in the United States remains high, legacy and emerging contaminants continue to require close attention. While water consumption is down, there are still an estimated 240,000 water main breaks per year in the United States, wasting more than 2 trillion gallons of treated drinking water. The report card cites the American Water Works Association estimate that approximately trillion is necessary to maintain and expand service to meet demands over the next 25 years.

Funding infrastructure improvements

According to Michael S. Burke’s article, The Infrastructure Gap: Financing and Funding the Future, there are many constraints on public-sector budgets which divert funds away from infrastructure development and maintenance. A significant example sited is unfunded pension liabilities. Additionally, a major source of public sector infrastructure funding, municipal bonds, have become less attractive to investors due to low interest rates. Public-private partnerships (P3s) are one source that, according to Burke, is widely used in U.K., Australia, and Canada and expected to become more prevalent in the U.S. P3s are designed so the cost of the project is paid over the lifetime of the asset and costs are known up front. Private corporations earn a return on their investment through payments from ratepayers, such as in a water district, or they receive a portion of the higher taxes generated by improved infrastructure.

Back to Top

Back to Top

Non-Revenue Water

Aging infrastructure is one cause among several of the problem of non-revenue water (NRW). The white paper What Lies Beneath the Surface examines the challenges created by NRW and the solutions utilities and municipalities can implement to counteract its negative effects on water conservation and infrastructure. The issue tends not to be top-of-mind to the public, largely because the leakage and infrastructure damage contributing to NRW take place underground and go unnoticed. That is, until a major crisis – such as a water main break or drinking water contamination – occurs. NRW is a significant issue that needs to be addressed, as it can damage public infrastructure, raise utility bills, and jeopardize public health.

Water Conservation and Water Loss

Aging infrastructure, such as leaky pipes and water mains, is estimated to result in the loss of 2.1 trillion gallons of treated drinking water in the U.S. each year. According to the EPA, the average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills. EPA provides water loss training workshops to water utilities and collaborates with states to leverage Drinking Water State Revolving Funds–EPA’s largest funding source for drinking water infrastructure–for water loss control auditing.

Back to Top

Back to Top

Private Water Infrastructure

When a water line breaks, the homeowner is generally responsible for the portion of the line from the house to the water meter, called the “private-side”, and the City is responsible for the portion of the line from the water meter to the water main, called the “public-side”. When private-side service lines break, many homeowners call the city or utility first, and then are surprised to learn that the city can’t help solve this expensive problem. Many cities have seen a steady increase in water infrastructure problems, and local officials are often contacted by residents with water and sewer line issues, which can cause a financial hardship. As a result, many cities are partnering with providers of service line repair programs to educate and protect homeowners. In addition to providing financial protection against expensive repairs, these programs provide access to vetted local contractors and 24/7/365 claims handling. These partnerships also often include royalties to the city that can be dedicated to the upgrade of public infrastructure.

Want to Learn Even More?

Click to Call Us!

Click to Contact Us!

America’s Infrastructure Scores a D+

Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Report Card for America’s Infrastructure depicts the condition and performance of American infrastructure in the familiar form of a school report card—assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement. Read More

Back to Top

The Infrastructure Gap: Financing and Funding the Future

The jumping-off point for our analysis is the observation from 39 percent of our Future of Infrastructure survey respondents that a lack of public funding is the key reason that civil infrastructure is failing to keep pace with society’s demands. Read More

Fix a Leak Week

Are you ready to chase down leaks? Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each year we hunt down the drips during Fix a Leak Week. Mark your calendars for EPA’s annual Fix a Leak Week, March 18 through 24, 2019—but remember that you can find and fix leaks inside and outside your home to save valuable water and money all year long. Read More

Aging Water Infrastructure Issues in the United States

One of the many issues that America faces today is the problem with the water. The water system is failing, and it affects individual households and communities. Every day, the authorities are faced with a huge challenge to solve the issue and replace the water infrastructure. Read More