NWRA President: Investment in Water Infrastructure in the West is Critical
Jan 24, 2019
Guest editorial by Ron Thompson, President, National Water Resources Association (NWRA), General Manager, Washington County Water Conservancy District: Americans expect clean, safe and affordable water.
We enjoy one of the best water systems in the world, largely due to the foresight of our predecessors who invested time and money into the extensive water infrastructure. However, our country has fallen woefully short in its water infrastructure investments over the past several decades.
Meeting our citizens’ expectations will cost at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years, to provide the current levels of water service. When factoring in growth, the needs increase to $1.7 trillion through 2050.
As the president of the National Water Resources Association (NWRA) and the manager of a water conservancy district in southern Utah, I know firsthand the need to invest in water has never been greater, nor have the challenges of advancing water projects been steeper.
Around 80 percent of drinking water in the U.S. comes from surface waters such as rivers and lakes, with the remaining 20 percent from groundwater aquifers. Most of that water is delivered by 1 million miles of pipes across the country laid in the early to the mid‐20th century with a life span of 75 to 100 years.
The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that the U.S. needs to invest $123 billion per year in water infrastructure over the next 10 years just to meet projected capital needs. This doesn’t include the costs for adding capacity in high-growth regions like in the West, responding to natural disasters, or developing new sources of water. Local, state and federal governments are only spending $41 billion annually on water infrastructure, representing about one-third of the estimated need.
Assuming all levels of government could close this investment gap, our national economy would gain $220 billion annually, and add 1.3 million direct and indirect jobs. These jobs are well paying with wages above the national average. Nationally a one-day disruption of water service would result in an aggregate loss of over $43 billion per day, and more than $22 billion in gross domestic product.
Recognizing the needs and risks, Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law Oct. 23, 2018, legislation that provides for the conservation and development of water and related resources and authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to construct various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors.
The bill also authorizes key drinking water and wastewater infrastructure under the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act that are administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. It also addresses specific water supply and storage programs of the Bureau of Reclamation.
I speak for water managers throughout the country by thanking members of Congress and the president for supporting this legislation. But as Vice President Mike Pence said at the bill’s signing ceremony, the bill is just a down payment on rebuilding America’s infrastructure.
The U.S. invested heavily in the complex system for storage and delivery of water in the West to encourage settlement of arid regions and to serve its growing communities. The ambitious campaign transformed the region, attracting tens of millions of new residents and encouraging a major growth-oriented economy. In subsequent decades, federal funding for water resources infrastructure has dropped dramatically, placing the burden on state and local authorities to maintain these systems for the greater good.
But water resource stability is threatened in the West because existing developable resources are insufficient to meet anticipated water demand. The western states contain the headwaters of the continent’s major river system including the Columbia, Missouri/Mississippi, Rio Grande and Colorado rivers. All these states are actively developing new water resources to support their economic activity. California is planning several major water projects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The Northern Integrated Supply Project for 15 northern Colorado communities is in the permitting phase and the Southern Nevada Pipeline is on the drawing board. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is studying the feasibility of raising dams and building new water pipelines throughout the West including the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply project in New Mexico. In my home state, the Utah Legislature passed the Lake Powell Pipeline Development Act in 2006 to secure the future of Southern Utah by making sure current and future generations have a diverse and reliable water source.
The Lake Powell Pipeline will bring a critical second source of water to southern Utah to meet the needs of our growing communities, reduce our risks from drought and climate change, and keep the economy strong. The water conservancy districts in Washington and Kane counties, the project’s recipients, collectively deliver water to 13 communities.
Streamlined permitting will help advance critical water projects including the Lake Powell Pipeline, which has been in planning for more than 20 years. Extensive studies, preliminary design and permit applications have already cost millions. More efficient federal permitting will ensure water projects are done responsibly, yet significantly reduce the aggregate time and cost required to get the project approved and built.
While the investment deficits are significant, the benefits of closing the gap are even greater. When it comes to investing in and building the infrastructure for clean water, we can no longer kick the can down the road. We all must invest in the water system we need to sustain our quality of life, health and economy.
More News and Articles
Apr 24, 2024
News
Sustainable drainage solutions: German Start-up transforms urban water management.
Germany boasts a well-established infrastructure for managing rainwater and wastewater, yet many developing countries lack such systems. Addressing this gap, …
Apr 22, 2024
News
HDD tooling that gets the job done
Horizontal directional drilling is a dynamic process that constantly changes and adapts to suit a range of applications across utilities and infrastructure. Operators looking to get the most from their equipment …
Apr 19, 2024
News
WATCH: Overnight with SAERTEX-LINER H20 in São Paulo
Available through Pipe Core, high-quality liner SAERTEX-LINER H20 performed under pressure in São Paulo, Brazil.
Maintaining aging potable water pipe infrastructure is a constant challenge …
Apr 17, 2024
News
Immersive media provides wastewater experience in Denmark
An immersive media experience (IMX) may not be what most people want when they think about industrial wastewater, but that is exactly what visitors can expect when they visit a new installation …
Apr 15, 2024
News
Spotlight on gender diversity at Pipe Core
Since founding in 2008, Pipe Core’s team has grown across all areas of the business and is now in a position where there are more females than males across the organisation. Research published in Harvard …
Apr 12, 2024
News
New Wave of Startups Scale Innovation to Solve Global Water Challenges
Innovators from Around the World Join Xylem’s 2024 Accelerator Program to Deploy Breakthrough Innovations for Utilities and Industrial Users of Water
A new group of startups …
Apr 08, 2024
News
Integrated sustainable electricity and clean drinking water systems
Altitude Water and New Use Energy Solutions have partnered to create integrated, mobile solar-plus-water generation systems that produce sustainable electricity and clean drinking …
Apr 05, 2024
News
How to Evaluate Hydraulic Fracture Risk in HDD Design
The design of horizontal directional drill (HDD) installations often requires an evaluation of the potential for hydraulic fracture of the soil layers through which an HDD passes. Evaluating …
Apr 02, 2024
News
Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge to Keep Water Flowing
Relocation of Major Sewer Infrastructure Enables Construction of Pedestrian Link for 35 Million Visitors to the 2025 Jubilee
Water …
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Utah State University (USU) has published new research on water main breaks in the United States and Canada, examining …
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, …
Mar 25, 2024
Article
Bacteria as a new weapon in wastewater treatment
In early November, San Diego based startup Aquacycl officially opened its first European office and test center at the Water Campus in Leeuwarden. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) …
Contact
National Water Resources Association (NWRA)
Ian Lyle
4 E Street SE
DC 20003 Washington
United States
Phone:
+1 202 360 6429
Fax:
+1 202 698 0694