| This is the first of several essays that are aimed at | | | | situations where some local communities struggle to |
| focusing attention on water and sewer infrastructure | | | | deal with the costs associated with addressing |
| systems. In this essay, the current state of city and | | | | necessary upkeep and maintenance of these |
| regional systems are examined; the current state of | | | | systems, much less improved water quality. For |
| the industry will be examined next, investigating | | | | example, the US Environmental Protection Agency's |
| some of the tools, resources and technologies that | | | | (EPA) data on the costs of monitoring and treatment |
| are available, today. Beyond that, the final essay in | | | | to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act |
| this series will look at the needs emerging from the | | | | standards that came into force as of September, |
| developing world as well as the shifting demands that | | | | 1994, suggest that the average cost per household |
| will drive decisions affecting the upkeep and | | | | was on the order of $4 per year in systems serving |
| expansion of existing water infrastructure. When | | | | more than 500,000 people, but $300 per year for |
| those of us who live in developed nations turn on the | | | | systems serving no more than 100 people |
| tap or flush the toilet, most of us are not thinking of | | | | The need to maintain the existing drinking water |
| what it takes to deliver us that glass of clean water | | | | supply systems is clearly evidenced by the tragedies |
| or treat our sewage. | | | | that unfold when those systems fail. As an example, |
| The infrastructure that is in place for pumping, | | | | in 1993 contamination of the Milwaukee water supply |
| purifying, transport and waste treatment is what | | | | by cryptosporidium caused 400,000 cases of |
| allows those mundane, daily activities to occur | | | | gastrointestinal illness and an estimated 50 to 100 |
| without a second thought. These water and sewer | | | | deaths. Less catastrophic failures demonstrate the |
| networks are a patchwork-quilt of local and regional | | | | widespread nature of the problems. According to |
| systems that have been pieced together in order to | | | | EPA's data, 880 publicly owned treatment works |
| meet the needs of the populations that they support. | | | | receive flows from "combined sewer systems" which |
| In some cases, components have been in place for | | | | commingle storm water with household and industrial |
| hundreds of years; this is especially true in the case | | | | wastewater and frequently overload during heavy |
| of networks that serve large urban centers. In fact, | | | | rain or snowmelt. Such overflows are estimated to |
| fully 1/3 of London's water pipes are over 150 years | | | | discharge 1.2 trillion gallons of storm water and |
| old and while there may be some truth to the adage | | | | untreated sewage every year. |
| 'they don't build them like they used to', the stark | | | | Even "sanitary" systems with separate sewers for |
| reality is that water and sewer systems do | | | | wastewater can overflow or leak because of pipe |
| deteriorate over long periods of time and constant | | | | blockages, pump failures, inadequate maintenance, or |
| use. | | | | excessive demands. According to a draft EPA report, |
| Populations grow and new industries bring new needs. | | | | overflows from sanitary sewers alone result in a |
| The infrastructure to support these new needs must | | | | million illnesses each yearEven historic Boston Harbor |
| be put in place; new roads and power systems must | | | | was used for nearly 300 years as the disposal site |
| be constructed, and installed as needed. Water and | | | | for regional sewage until a court-ordered cleanup and |
| sewer systems cannot simply 'expand capacity' as | | | | treatment plan changed that in 1998. While Boston |
| needed, though. Because of this, water system | | | | appears to have successfully upgraded its sewer |
| mangers and engineers must plan for the future in | | | | treatment and disposal system, there are still many |
| design and construction, anticipating future needs. | | | | coastal communities in the US, Canada, Europe and |
| Critical questions that city and regional managers | | | | elsewhere that practice raw sewage disposal in the |
| must ask themselves include: | | | | world's oceans. This is a practice that generates |
| What is the state of the existing water and sewer | | | | almost universal repulsion when it is exposed to the |
| systems? | | | | public light, and mostly continues because of public |
| What is the yearly cost to maintain these systems? | | | | ignorance that it occurs. |
| What population were these systems designed to | | | | Furthermore, many urban and rural drinking water |
| serve? | | | | systems lose 20 percent or more of the water they |
| Are these systems meeting the current demands | | | | produce through leaks in their pipe networks; London |
| that are placed upon them? | | | | offers a prime example of this. Water leakage in |
| What is the best approach to addressing any | | | | London's Thames Water system runs at the |
| immediate issues or shortfalls? | | | | equivalent of 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools a |
| What are likely to be the demands placed in these | | | | day. In part, such problems are the result of normal |
| systems 25 years in the future? 50 years? 100 | | | | aging of water infrastructure worldwide. The |
| years? | | | | generally accepted rule of thumb is that a sewer pipe |
| How far into the future will the systems continue to | | | | lasts 50 years and a 1998 US survey of 42 municipal |
| support the population? | | | | sewer systems found that existing pipes averaged |
| How can those future needs be most effectively | | | | 33 years old, suggesting that many are, or soon will |
| addressed? | | | | be, in need of replacement. |
| Are there new ideas or new technologies that should | | | | These facts are not presented in order to alarm or |
| be pursued? | | | | point fingers; instead they are offered as the starting |
| How can these repairs, upgrades and improvements | | | | point for discussions. The fact is that today more |
| be financed? | | | | people have access to clean water than ever before |
| In examining the water and sewer systems in the | | | | in human history and that is a great accomplishment, |
| United States, the first point of interest is the | | | | of which everyone should be proud. That should not, |
| distributed and independent nature of these | | | | however, preclude constructive assessments of |
| networks. The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) | | | | problems that affect the health and well being of |
| found that over 53,000 independent systems are in | | | | people in communities everywhere. Quite the |
| place to serve an estimated 264 million people. While | | | | opposite, knowing how much has been accomplished |
| that may seem like a huge number of water | | | | and the effort that has gone into putting the |
| systems, it should be noted that just 7 percent of | | | | infrastructure in place should be motivation to |
| these community systems serve 10,000 people or | | | | maintain and continually improve the drinking water |
| more while local control and regulation is, in many | | | | and sewage treatment systems that serve the |
| cases, desirable, in this case it unfortunately leads to | | | | world. |