New American Society of Civil Engineers National Infrastructure Report Reinforces Need to Act on Updating and Maintaining U.S. Water Systems
Apr 07, 2021
The American Society of Civil Engineers’ latest Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, issued every four years since 2001, recently gave the nation’s drinking water systems a C- grade and its wastewater systems a D+ grade.
This remains in line with previous reports and heightens the sense of urgency to take actions to improve this important, but often overlooked part of our nation’s infrastructure.
“This year’s ASCE grades on drinking water and wastewater infrastructure have come in, and we continue to see a dire national need to upgrade, repair, and maintain a vast system responsible for the essential services that help keep our lives flowing,” said Bruce Aiton, director of engineering for Pennsylvania American Water. “Pennsylvania American Water has already been addressing infrastructure needs through consistent investment in our systems, which is evidenced by our company’s excellent compliance record compared to municipal systems.”
Pennsylvania American Water plans to invest approximately $1.1 billion in system improvements over the next three years to continue to provide safe, reliable service to customers. The company recently provided a recap of its $400 million of infrastructure upgrades in 2020 despite the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The price tag for the critical upkeep and replacement of the nation’s outdated water systems is at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years, according to estimates by the American Water Works Association. While it is a challenge, investing in water and wastewater systems has many benefits.
Water infrastructure investments prove their value every day,” added Aiton. “From projects to replace water mains, pipelines, and hydrants, and the installation of advanced metering technology to help reduce water leaks, to enhanced treatment capabilities improving efficiency and reliability, the investments we’ve made into the system allow us to continue to meet customer needs in the communities we serve.”
“One of the reasons we want to make our customers aware of the ASCE Report Card is to highlight the critical nature of these issues and let them know their bills play an important role in system renewal and future reliability,” said Aiton. “By supporting capital improvements, customers and Pennsylvania American Water are working together to help keep the water flowing now and well into the future. While much work needs to be done to raise the grade of the nation’s aging water infrastructure, we are committed to addressing the challenge across the Commonwealth and the country.”
More News and Articles
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
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, environmentally friendly, time-saving, and cost-effective alternative to open cut methods. The UNITRACC e-learning course "Utility Tunnelling" has been enhanced …
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) and the Investment and Development Agency for the Northern Netherlands (NOM) …
Mar 22, 2024
News
A superior HDD offering
Building on its relationships with leading horizontal directional drilling companies, TRACTO Australia has delivered three new rigs to operator Superior HDD.
Mar 20, 2024
News
New portable water filtration technology could improve access to clean drinking water worldwide
The University of Texas at Austin has developed an injectable water filtration system with the aim to aid the over two billion people worldwide who are without clean drinking water.
Mar 18, 2024
News
Global Student Innovation Challenge Calls on Next-Generation Leaders to Tackle Water Security
High School and University Students Worldwide Invited to Expand Water Access and Community Resilience
Mar 15, 2024
News
New water treatment wins Prestigious Award
Introducing a advancement in water treatment, developed by Cardiff University researchers in collaboration with Origin Aqua, the FreeOxTM technology has garnered acclaim by winning a prestigious challenge award at the World Water Tech Innovation Summit. This single-step process not only …
Mar 13, 2024
News
Satellite-based river monitoring technique could provide early warning of flooding
A satellite-based method for monitoring the flow of rivers from orbit could provide a valuable early warning system for flood risk, University of Glasgow researchers have claimed.
Mar 11, 2024
News
Revitalising infrastructure with HDD
Through the use of horizontal directional drilling, TasWater is delivering a new sewer pipeline to improve sewer and stormwater transfer capacity in Launceston, Tasmania.
Mar 06, 2024
News
Picking up the pace on climate action: Building momentum from COP28
At the halfway point of the Paris Agreement, the legally binding international treaty on climate action, average global temperatures are already hitting 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels and future projections are stark. At COP28 in December, we could not escape the reality …
Mar 01, 2024
News
Luminescent sensor detects ‘forever chemical’ pollution in water
Researchers in the UK and Germany have developed a new approach for detecting pollution from ‘forever chemicals’ in water through luminescence.
Feb 28, 2024
Article
BETT installation demonstrating GHG emissions reduction of wastewater treatment
This study presents BioElectrochemical Treatment Technology (BETT) as a new wastewater management solution toward the Net-Zero future. The results reported herein were collected from a BETT pilot system installed at a large brewery in Los Angeles, CA, United States processing …
Contact
Pennsylvania American Water
Susan Turcmanovich
External Affairs Manager
852 Wesley Drive
PA 17055 Mechanicsburg
United States
Phone:
+1 570 332 6726