This report expands our analysis beyond lead to examine all drinking water contaminants regulated under the SDWA. Much as Flint is not the only water system with lead problems, we have found that Lead and Copper Rule problems are far from the only widespread violations of drinking water rules. Our research shows that in 2015 alone, nearly 77 million people were served by more than 18,000 community water systems that violated at least one SDWA rule, and there were more than 80,000 violations of SDWA rules that year. These violations included exceeding health-based standards, failing to properly test water for contaminants, and failing to report contamination to state authorities or the public.
View this complete post...Posts Tagged ‘Water’
Threats on Tap: Widespread Violations Highlight Need for Investment in Water Infrastructure and Protections
Tuesday, May 9th, 2017Will the nation’s water infrastructure needs be overlooked again?
Thursday, May 4th, 2017Industry experts and government officials fear that when President Donald Trump’s proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan is finally “laid out,” water infrastructure projects could largely be “left out.”…The president has already given preliminary indications that water projects are not likely to be ranked at the top of his priority list. That is more than unfortunate. Water resources are critical aspects of sustainability for the nation.
View this complete post...Guest on The Infra Blog: Eileen O’Neill, Executive Director, Water Environment Federation (WEF)
Thursday, April 20th, 2017“In some communities, there is an affordability challenge. What we see, particularly on the clean-water side, is that in the 1970s when our systems were being built up, there was a federal investment; there were construction grants, there was enormous growth, but there has been a decline in that investment at the federal level. I believe the figure used to be at 63% federal invested; that’s gone down to 9% these days. So it’s the local communities that are actually paying the cost of these systems, and they need to understand the value and the importance of the systems to the quality of life, and to the economic vitality of their communities.”
View this complete post...The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure
Monday, April 3rd, 2017VALUE OF WATER CAMPAIGN Purpose of the Report The Value of Water Campaign commissioned an economic impact analysis to understand how increasing investments in the nation’s water infrastructure can affect economic growth and employment. The study reviews the projected capital needs of water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities, and estimates the associated economic benefits that would […]
View this complete post...Investing in water: Comparing utility finances and economic concerns across U.S. cities
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017This brief describes the current context for local water infrastructure investment in the United States, with a particular focus on large drinking water utilities. As concerns continue to ripple from incidents in Flint, Mich. and beyond, cities remain at the forefront of many investment challenges, yet they often do not have a clear sense of where they stand relative to other markets. By examining how cities vary across three measures of utility finances— operational performance, long-term debt, and rates—and three broader economic measures affecting system performance—changes in population, changes in median household income, and the share of lower-income households—this brief attempts to paint a more complete picture of regional water investment.
View this complete post...One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life’s Most Essential Resource
Thursday, December 8th, 2016U.S. WATER ALLIANCE Water is our world’s most precious resource and essential to everything we do. It nourishes us. It cleans and sustains us. Put simply, we ARE water. On average, every American uses 176 gallons of water per day—that is over 64,000 gallons a year. Food production alone is responsible for 80 percent of all […]
View this complete post...What’s In Your Water? Flint and Beyond
Monday, July 4th, 2016NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL (NRDC)
While Flint represents a clear case of extreme lead contamination, it does not have a monopoly on serious lead problems. In order to evaluate the national extent of violations of the Lead and Copper Rule, NRDC has obtained official EPA violation and enforcement records. We have conducted extensive data analysis, using geographic information system (GIS) mapping software to highlight and map the scope of lead-related issues in drinking water systems across the United States.
Atlanta, GA: Making a Visible Difference in the Proctor Creek Watershed Through Information and Data
Monday, June 27th, 2016Description: EPA is working to bring focused attention and coordinated action in more than 50 environmentally overburdened, underserved, and economically distressed communities. This involves listening to community leaders and residents to understand their needs and then working with local, state and other federal partners to leverage our collective resources in support of local goals. In […]
View this complete post...2016 Strategic Directions: Water Industry Report
Friday, June 24th, 2016BLACK & VEATCH INSIGHTS GROUP
Many, if not all issues considered most important to the water industry in 2016 appear linked to funding and cost concerns – the cost of addressing outdated systems at a time when traditional revenue streams are drying up and the political cost of pitching rate cases or alternative financing strategies to skeptical stakeholders…Or, the cost of water as it’s widely perceived by the public, whose understanding of the resources needed to treat and deliver a safe supply may compete with the industry’s ever-growing – and deferred – maintenance bill.
Guest on The Infra Blog: Congressman Earl Blumenauer, U.S. Representative for Oregon’s 3rd District
Wednesday, June 8th, 2016A lifelong resident of Portland, Oregon, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) has devoted his entire career to public service. Elected to the US House of Representatives in 1996, Mr. Blumenauer has created a unique role as Congress’ chief spokesperson for Livable Communities: places where people are safe, healthy and economically secure.
“It’s not particularly headline grabbing unless there’s a system failure, but it is past time that we force this issue in every community. There is no substitute for engaging people in a very specific analysis of what happens in their own backyard and what the benefits are for getting this right.”
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