Storm water projects in 19 states are examples for the nation, according to a report by “A Path to Cleaner Water.”
The report was released by the Environment America Research & Policy Center. The report gives examples of water infrastructure projects in 19 states which have diverted pollution from nearby bodies of water.
“If we want clean water, our nation will have to make a substantial investment in repairing and updating our infrastructure,” said the report. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that wastewater and stormwater systems will require an investment of $271 billion over the next 20 years to meet demands. This is likely a conservative estimate for actual investment requirements in the coming years.”
According to the report, billions of gallons of storm water runoff and sewage overflows continue to pollute U.S. rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Because of this, beaches are unsafe for swimming, communities are flooded with sewage, and toxic algal outbreaks threaten wildlife and public health.
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the country’s wastewater infrastructure a D-plus in 2017, reported the Environment America Research & Policy Center.
The report includes the following states: Rhode Island, Vermont, Missouri, Montana, Washington, Oregon and more.
In 1977, the federal government paid 63% of the costs for water infrastructure, but that amount has plunged to 9% by 2014, according to the report. The result is that state and local governments must foot most of the bill for expensive infrastructure improvements.
In every EPA Region across the country, there are success stories, added the report. For instance, Rhode Island’s green infrastructure and septic replacement has helped eliminate beach closures from bacteria at Bristol’s Town Beach on Narragansett Bay.
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