Water system springs leaks

While much attention has been paid to the nation’s roads and bridges in need of repair, a system even more critical to civilization is in desperate need of an upgrade, as well.

The nation’s outdated water and sewage systems will take $335 billion and $300 billion to repair, according to a Washington Post investigative report. About 1.7 trillion gallons of water leaks from pipes each year before it reaches faucets and about 900 billion gallons of raw sewage flows into waterways. A study published in the American Society of Civil Engineers concluded that unless there is a massive commitment to overhauling the nation’s water systems, Americans should prepare for rising water prices and higher risk of bacterial contamination.

Properly functioning sewage systems are often credited for raising the standard of public health by mostly separating fresh water from human waste and the associated bacterial diseases.