America gets a D-

Panelists discussed America’s aging water infrastructure at a forum hosted by the United States Chamber of Commerce. David Havern, executive vice president and chief operating officer of USCC, said the United States has over one million miles of water mains and that the entire system continues to fall into disrepair due to neglect and age. He said the American Society of Civil Engineers gave America’s water infrastructure a D- grade. Janine Benner, an aide of Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) said the United States should be investing between $3 and $23 billion more to maintain its drinking and waste water systems.

General Manager of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority Jerry Johnson said piping in Washington, D.C. dates to the early part of the twentieth century. He noted that little federal funding is given to the development of more efficient water systems. Dan Coody, mayor of Fayetteville, Ark. said cities and states often find it difficult to improve pipelines since the need for a balanced budget could jeopardize funds for education and health. Coody said local governments currently fund 95 percent of drinking water infrastructure and 98 percent of waste water infrastructure.

Panelists encouraged increasing federal allocations for water infrastructure in light of America’s aging system and the need to address problems caused by rising sea levels due to global warming. Panelists also discouraged the privatization of water facilities, stating that corporate boards could increase prices, which are already on the rise, to levels that are out of reach for many Americans to guarantee profit. Benner and Benjamin Grumbles of the Environmental Protection Agency suggested increasing water rates so that customers would pay the full cost of water treatment. According to Benner, current rates only meet 90 percent of production costs.