Photo by Lisa Fotios: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-drinking-glass-1346155/
Tell Congress to Invest in Clean Water Infrastructure!
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity!
Congress is currently developing next year’s federal budget while also considering a major infrastructure package. This provides our nation with a critical once-in-a-generation opportunity to finally address our long-standing clean water needs! We have solutions to our clean water challenges, and it’s time to use them. Congress must act to:
Upgrade sewage and drinking water systems: The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a program to provide support to municipalities for the construction and repair of sewage infrastructure, and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a program to upgrade drinking water infrastructure and ensure safe water at the tap. Congress should fund each program at $10 billion annually.
Replace Lead Service Lines: Between 6 -10 million homes nationwide continue to receive their drinking water through lead service lines, posing a serious risk to their health and disproportionately impacting low-income households. Congress should fund the Lead Service Line Replacement Program at $4.5 billion annually, which will provide grants for the full cost of replacing lead service lines.
Background Information
Aging and failing sewage infrastructure discharges raw or partially sewage into local waterways, jeopardizing human health, closing beaches, harming fish and wildlife, and damaging local economies. Our drinking water infrastructure is also in need of critical upgrades, with communities facing ever-increasing water main breaks every year and continuing to rely on lead service lines that threaten public health. Our water infrastructure has been ignored for far too long, causing needed repairs to pile up due to lack of sufficient funds. As the Congress looks to address the nation’s infrastructure needs, we need to ensure clean water infrastructure is an essential component of that effort.
The Costs of Inaction in New York, Connecticut, and the Nation: Antiquated sewage and drinking water infrastructure threatens our environment and our health, while compounding economic struggles.
There are an estimated 360,000 lead water service lines throughout New York (an estimated 6 -10 million homes nationwide) that pose a serious risk of leaching lead into our drinking water.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave NY & CT’s infrastructure poor grades (NY drinking water infrastructure: C; NY wastewater infrastructure: D; CT drinking water infrastructure: C-; CT wastewater infrastructure: D+). We deserve better!
There are 5 overflows of raw or partially treated sewage into New York waters every day. More than 1 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage enter CT waterways each year.
Between 1.8 and 3.5 million Americans become ill annually from contact with recreational waters contaminated by sewage.
Clean Water Infrastructure Needs in NY & CT
While repairing and replacing NY & CT’s clean water infrastructure is imperative, it will also be costly. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) estimates that over $36 billion is needed to repair and upgrade sewage infrastructure, while the New York State Department of Health estimates drinking water infrastructure needs exceed $38 billion. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than $8.6 billion worth of investments are needed over the next 20 years to maintain, repair and upgrade sewage infrastructure in Connecticut.
We Need Federal Investment in Clean Water Infrastructure
The federal government’s contribution to investments in water infrastructure fell from 63% in 1977 to 9% in 2014. The lack of federal investment has left communities unable to keep up with the large maintenance costs for aging systems. Many projects get delayed, and, in other cases, the costs of large infrastructure projects are passed on to ratepayers—leading to skyrocketing water bills. In some communities, water bills have tripled over the last 10 years.
A major federal investment in water infrastructure will protect our environment, help ensure safe, clean, and affordable drinking water is available to everyone, and set the stage for economic revitalization in towns and cities across New York.
Thank you for taking action!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE