Water Supply Infrastructure

Representatives of the nation’s mayors and water supply officials outlined the growing water infrastructure needs facing the nation’s large, small, and rural communities. Elevated lead levels in drinking water in the Washington, D.C. area spotlighted concern over public health issues. Water main breaks also cause millions of dollars in economic losses to communities each year when businesses and schools are forced to close, property is damaged, and traffic is snarled. The nation’s water supply infrastructure is getting very old, but many communities do not really know what condition it is in. An important first step is for those communities to inventory and collect key data about their water systems. Communities then can set goals and priorities for maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement of old pipes and other equipment in need of repair. To meet financing needs, witnesses suggested various possibilities such as better asset management, more federal assistance, more efficient use close