PLOS ONE. Jan 11, 2017. 2 U.S. Water Alliance. 2017. âAn Equitable Water Future: A National Briefing Paperâ P. 12. 3
T H E H EA L I NG OU R WAT ER S – GR EAT L A K E S C OA L IT ION
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION
C
ommunities across Great Lakes region continue to grapple with crumbling, antiquated drinking water and waste water infrastructure. A staggering $179 billion over the next 20 years is needed in improve ments, upgrades, and repairs in the eight-state region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Federal programs provide muchneeded funding to help communities meet their clean water goals. The Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition asks the U.S. Congress to: •
•
ing options like grants for disadvantaged communities; support for programs like those in HR 2328, the Low Income Sewer and Water Assistance Program Act that help low-income households pay their water bills; and provide incentives for utilities to adopt more equitable water and sewer rate structures.
At least double the funding for wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater infrastructure in
rural, urban, and suburban communities through the Clean Water or Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and through new and innovative funding sources. •
Incorporate measures to ensure the affordability of clean water, such as providing more flexible financ
Ensure that infrastructure funding supports nature-based solutions that prevent problems before
•
they become more serious and that enhance climate resilience. Funding should include a 15 percent set-aside for projects that incorporate nature-based infrastructure.
Ensure that infrastructure legislation does not undermine or weaken environmental protections.
•
Preserve and strengthen source water protections
that also help reduce runoff, support fish and wildlife, and provide recreational opportunities.
The Great Lakes provide drinking water for more than 30 million people. They are the foundation of our economy and our way of life. Unfortunately, the lakes face serious threats. Repairing old infrastructure is a large undertak ing — and expensive. Paying for these projects often falls on communities that cannot afford it, underscoring the importance of financial support from the federal government.
funding for water infrastructure dropped significantly since 1977. In that year, investments from the federal government made up 63 percent of total spending on water infrastructure. By 2014, the federal government’s contri bution had dropped to 9 percent. In some communities, when individuals cannot pay their water bills they face water shutoffs, which jeopardize their health and the health of their children.2
$179 BILLION OVER 20 YEARS NEEDED TO FIX WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
THREATS TO DRINKING WATER PERSIST IN COMMUNITIES
A survey of infrastructure investment needed in the nation shows that the Great Lakes region alone requires $179 billion over the next 20 years to repair and replace our wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. (Figure 1.)
Old, leaky pipes waste 6 billion gallons of clean drinking water every day at a time when many families are strug gling to afford their bills.3 Rural and urban communities still face threats: many communities, including Flint, Milwaukee, and others are living with lead in their drinking water, and in many others polluted farm runoff contaminates ground water.
CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE CAUSES WATER RATES TO RISE
People in the Great Lakes region must foot the bill for these expensive, but necessary, water infrastructure upgrades. From 2010 to 2017, water costs increased 41 percent across the country.1 At the same time, federal
SEWAGE POLLUTES THE GREAT LAKES, HARMING OUR WAY OF LIFE
Sewage overflows during heavy rains are still a reality in the Great Lakes region with tens of billions of gallons of
Figure 1: Great Lakes Region Infrastructure Investment Needs
Wastewater Infrastructure Need over 20 Years4
Drinking Water Infrastructure Need over 20 Years5
Total Infrastructure Need over 20 Years
Illinois
$6.537 billion
$18.985 billion
$25.913 billion
Indiana
$7.162 billion
$6.547 billion
$13.843 billion
Michigan
$2.077 billion
$13.814 billion
$16.175 billion
Minnesota
$2.389 billion
$7.363 billion
$9.903 billion
New York
$31.439 billion
$22.041 billion
$53.936 billion
Ohio
$14.587 billion
$12.191 billion
$27.030 billion
Pennsylvania
$6.950 billion
$14.227 billion
$21.471 billion
Wisconsin
$6.329 billion
$7.141 billion
$13.616 billion
$77.470 billion
$102.289 billion
$179.759 billion
Total Regional Need
sewage entering the lakes each year. As a result, beaches are closed and public health is threatened. Our quality of life is undermined when our Great Lakes are polluted. FEDERAL INVESTMENTS KEY TO HELPING COMMUNITIES PROTECT CLEAN WATER
Sewage overflows can be prevented. Crumbling pipes can be replaced. Outdated facilities can be updated. But each of these projects costs money — often more money than communities alone can afford. Federal programs like the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds can help communities offset the cost of these needed investments in wastewater and drinking water infrastruc ture. Both offer low-interest loans to communities to address these costly infrastructure challenges. Funding levels have not kept pace with need, and Congress should take steps to make these investments a priority. NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS CAN SAVE COMMUNITIES MONEY
Not all investments need to be in restoring traditional infrastructure. Nature-based solutions including the construction of rain gardens, planting of trees, and restoration of wetlands can help absorb and filter rain water before it overwhelms outdated systems. This reduces the burden on traditional water infrastructure and saves communities money. CONGRESS NEEDS TO ACT
Investments in the region are paying off — but much more needs to be done. The U.S. Congress needs to do its fair share to help local communities meet their clean water goals. We have solutions. It’s time to use them. Delay will only make the problems worse and more costly to solve.
ENDNOTES
1 Mack, E.A., and S. Wrase. “A Burgeoning Crisis? A Nationwide Assessment of the Geography of Water Affordability in the United States.” PLOS ONE. Jan 11, 2017. 2 U.S. Water Alliance. 2017. “An Equitable Water Future: A National Briefing Paper” P. 12. 3 American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 “Infrastructure Report Card” https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/ wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Drinking-Water-Final.pdf 4 U.S. E.P.A. 2016. “Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2012: Report to Congress.” Pp. A-1 – A-2. https://www.epa.gov/ sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/cwns_2012_report_to_congress-508-opt.pdf 5 U.S. E.P.A. 2013. “Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment: Fifth Report to Congress.” P. 19. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-07/documents/epa816r13006.pdf
THE HEALING OUR WATERS– GREAT LAKES COALITION
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We are more than 150 local and national organizations representing the interests of business, agriculture, and outdoor recreation; local counties, cities, towns, and neighborhoods; and the environment, zoos, aquariums, and museums. Learn more at healthylakes.org. Follow us on Twitter @healthylakes.
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[email protected] Photo credits: (cover, from top) Jim Wasley, HOW Coalition, (page 2) iStockPhoto, (page 3) James M. Pease at commons.Wikimdia.org, Cleveland Metroparks, Kari Lydersen, (page 4) Donna Kert
ANNA BRUNNER
