Sustainable Infrastructure for Water and Wastewater
Drinking water treatment plants, sewer lines, drinking water distribution lines, and
storage facilities ensure protection of public health and the environment. As a
nation, we have built this extensive network of infrastructure to provide the public
with access to water and sanitation. Much of the drinking water and wastewater
infrastructure in the US was built 30 years following World War II, mirroring the
increase in population.
We cannot ignore the arriving wave of infrastructure rehabilitation and
replacement we will face over the next several decades. To do so would put the
achievements of the last 30-40 years and our nation’s waters and public health at
risk.
What does EPA mean by “sustainable infrastructure”?
The 1987 Bruntland report from the World Commission on Environment and
Development defined sustainable development as development that “meets the
needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs". In considering infrastructure, the U.S.
population today benefits from the investments that were made over the past
several decades to build our nation’s water infrastructure. Looking forward, EPA
wants to promote practices that encourage utilities and their customers to
address existing needs so that future generations will not be left to address the
approaching wave of infrastructure needs that will result from aging
infrastructure.
What is the Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative?
EPA is committing to promote sustainable practices that will help to reduce the
potential gap between funding needs and spending at the local and national
level. The Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative will guide our efforts in changing
how the nation views, values, manages, and invests in its water infrastructure.
EPA is working with the water industry to identify best practices that have helped
many of the Nation’s utilities address a variety of management challenges and
extend the use of these practices to a greater number of utilities. We believe that
collaboration with a coalition of leaders, with EPA playing a prominent role, can
build a roadmap for the future promotion of sustainable infrastructure.
What are the Four Pillars of Sustainable Infrastructure?
EPA believes that better management practices, efficient water use, full-cost
pricing of water and a watershed approach to protection can all help utilities to
operate more sustainably now and in the long-term.
1. Better Management of water and wastewater utilities can encompass
practices like asset management and environmental management systems.
Consolidation and public/private partnerships could also offer utilities
significant savings. Refer to Better Management Folder for more information
and materials.
2. Rates that reflect the Full Cost Pricing of service and rate restructuring can
help utilities capture the actual costs of operating water systems, raise
revenues, and also help to conserve water. Refer to Full Cost Pricing Folder
for more information and materials.
3. Resource Efficiency & Renewable Energy is critical. We need to create
market incentives to encourage more efficient use of water and energy and to
protect and conserve our resources. Refer to Resource Efficiency &
Renewable Energy Folder for more information and materials.
4. Watershed Approaches looks more broadly at water resources in a
coordinated way, which is challenging because we have not traditionally
thought of infrastructure management within the context of water quality
protection. Refer to Watershed Approaches Folder for more information and
materials.
What can be said generally about the age of the nation’s infrastructure?
Much of the water infrastructure in the country was built in the period following
World War II and it is aging. However, it is important to note that age, in and of
itself, does not necessarily point to problems. If a system is well maintained, it
can operate over a long time period. Looking at pipes only, an EPA survey found
that in systems that serve more than 100,000 people, about 30% of the pipes
were between 40 and 80 years old and about 10% of the pipes were more than
80 years old.
What is the useful life of infrastructure?
Treatment plants typically have a useful life of 20-50 years before they require
expansion or rehabilitation. Pipes have life cycles that can range from 15 to over
100 years depending on the type of material and the environment. Looking at
pipe, the material used can be a greater indicator of failure than age. Steel pipes
installed more than 80 years ago have proven to be much more resilient to failure
than pipes made of different materials installed more recently.
Why is it so important to properly maintain infrastructure assets?
Water infrastructure is expensive as are the monetary and social costs incurred
when infrastructure fails, so it only makes sense to make sure that it is properly
maintained. If a system is well maintained, it can operate safely over a long time
period. A new system that is not properly operated can threaten public health
more than an older system that is properly operated. Utilities need to carry out an
ongoing process of oversight, evaluation, maintenance and replacement of their
assets as needed to maximize the useful life of infrastructure. EPA is focused on
encouraging utilities to develop a better way of managing their infrastructure understanding the condition and making risk-based decisions on maintaining and
improving infrastructure.
What is an example of how poor maintenance could affect water quality
and costs?
Long-term corrosion of older mains can result in tuberculation, thereby reducing
the pipe's carrying capacity. The reduction in carrying capacity requires
increasing investments in power and pumping, causing a trade-off between the
reduction in hydraulic capacity and the increased operation and maintenance
costs to get water from one point to another. Also, bacterial growth within
tubercles may cause a potential health problem. Tuberculation also weakens the
main by reducing the wall thickness. These reductions in carrying capacity and in
strength can increase pumping, breakage, and repair costs, and, consequently,
the cost of water delivery
Can actions that would fall under the initiative really help address the gap?
We believe that utilities can take actions that will reduce their operating costs and
thus help to close the gap. Some utilities have made a commitment to addressing
their utility in a sustainable manner by implementing a progressive water rate
structure with conservation pricing and developing an innovative water efficiency
program, which features incentives for the purchase of water-efficient products.
These activities have allowed the utility to reduce the overall water demand by
more than 20% and they continue to look for savings. These utilities have also
used asset management techniques to reduce its FY 2004 capital budget by 13%
and its operating budget by 7%. Refer to Infrastructure Gap Folder for more
information and materials.
(Information provided by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency: January 14, 2010;
http://www.epa.gov/waterinfrastructure/index.html)
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Refer to PDF: Finding a Pathway for Sustainable Water and Wastewater
Services
Refer to PDF: Primer for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems
Refer to PDF: Water Infrastructure NOW- Recommendations for Clean
and Safe Water in the 21st Century
Refer to PDF: 21st Century Wastewater Treatment Technologies
Overview
Refer to PDF: Sustainable Water Systems- Step One- Redefining the
Nation's Infrastructure Challenge