Economic recovery seems to be on the uptick, although the journey is not yet over. Reduced federal spending and state budgets pushed municipalities to address only the most urgent water infrastructure projects, and economic uncertainty continues to lurk.
One report after another has drawn attention to the state of the nation’s water infrastructure: $1 trillion needed for repairs and expansion over the next 25 years, according to the American Water Works Assn., and $2.5 to $4.3 trillion needed for public water and wastewater over a 20-year period, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Council.
These numbers seem even grimmer in the face of the Obama Administration's FY2015 Budget request, which proposes $500 million in cuts to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs (CWSRF and DWSRF), with funding for the CWSRF and DWSRF estimated at $1.018 billion and $757 million, respectively. This comprises a $350 million cut to the CWSRF and a $150 million cut to the DWSRF over last year’s funding levels.
While not surprising, the news of the proposed budget further exposes the growing gap between the available funding and the projects that require it.
