Fix our water infrastructure

The American Society of Civil Engineers recently rated the US C- in their Infrastructure Report Card. They found that 6 billion gallons of clean, safe drinking water (enough to fill 9,000 swimming pools) are lost every day through leaky pipes, while a water main breaks every 2 minutes, totaling nearly 238,000 breaks per year. In many towns and cities, our drinking water infrastructure — which brings clean water to our families — is not managed with the best technology available. 

And, climate change is not going to make it better. It’s expected to include changes in precipitation patterns, resulting in urban flooding, burst pipelines, forest fires, and unpredictable and extreme rainy seasons. We are risking losing access to clean drinking water, contamination from sewer spills, and threats to home and safety from storms and flooding. 

Biden’s infrastructure plan does include funding for state and local governments to upgrade their water infrastructure. They can modernize the technology they use to manage their water systems. Will they?