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Reinvest in Our Drinking Water Infrastructure
Author(s) -
Degen Don
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
opflow
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1551-8701
pISSN - 0149-8029
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8701.2008.tb01996.x
Subject(s) - water infrastructure , per capita , business , population , finance , natural resource economics , water supply , environmental economics , economics , engineering , environmental engineering , environmental health , medicine
This article discusses the urgency of reinvesting in water infrastructure as it approaches the end of its useful life within the next 30‐40 years. The article offers information in AWWA's regular State of the Industry Report on this subject, including the following: the financial burden on water utilities created by this reinvestment; current water main replacement average costs per household; how population declines and demographic shifts are affecting the per capita replacement costs; and, the concurrent challenges faced by water utilities of upgrading infrastructure to comply with new regulatory requirements.