EPA Survey Shows Billions Needed for Nation’s Wastewater Infrastructure

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a survey last week showing that $271 billion is needed to maintain the nation’s wastewater infrastructure, including new investments in the pipes that carry wastewater to treatment plans, to modernize the technology, and to implement new methods for managing stormwater runoff.

Joel Beauvais, EPA’s acting deputy assistant administrator for water, said, “The only way to have clean and reliable water is to have infrastructure that is up to the task. Our nation has made tremendous progress in modernizing our treatment plants and pipes in recent decades, but this survey tells us that a great deal of work remains.”

The survey specifically found that:

• $52.4 billion is needed for secondary wastewater treatment.
• $49.6 billion is needed for advanced wastewater treatment.
• $51.2 billion is needed to repair and rehabilitate conveyance systems.
• $44.5 billion is needed to install new sewer collection systems, interceptor sewers and pumping stations.
• $48 billion is needed for combined sewer overflow correction to prevent periodic discharges of mixed stormwater and untreated wastewater during wet-weather events.
• $19.2 billion is needed for stormwater management programs.
• $6.1 billion is needed for recycled water distribution.

The Vinyl Institute will be engaging with the agency and the administration on the need to address U.S. water infrastructure challenges and discussing how PVC pipe offers a sustainable and cost-effect solution.