Comments on: The Cracks BENEATH The Street

By: Andy Crossland

Andy Crossland — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:52:14 +0000

Michael-

Thanks for the post. As you probably know there is a LOT of talk about how to pay for our aging infrastructure – and an infrastructure bank is one of the ideas that has been batted around. I often have given the schpeil that there are 3 ways to pay for it – fees for service, taxes (which is how an infrastructure bank would work) and efficiency. And while I am continually impressed by the job that water and wastewater systems do for us, there is still a lot of room for efficiency gains. Also, my post touched on the fact that lots of folks dont know where water comnes from or where is goes after we use it. I would go a step further to say… a lot of folks dont even know what they pay for water services. It is just not on our minds because… we dont pay a lot for it.

By: Andy Crossland

Andy Crossland — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:45:34 +0000

Linda-

Smaller water authorities really do have a very tough job to do with limited resources. We have over 52,000 community water systems in the states, most of which are quite small and work very hard to deliver their service – a service which I think most folks don’t know is quite expensive to provide!

By: Andy Crossland

Andy Crossland — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:41:00 +0000

Thanks Brenda. I am sure that as a kid I did not know where water comes from or “goes” after it leaves the home. But I really believe that awareness could go a long way :)

By: Michael E. Bailey

Michael E. Bailey — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:06:30 +0000

We need something like an infrastructure bank to help do the necessary financing for water and sewer agencies that need to rehabilitate their systems but are unable to pay the full amount of the high costs involved. We need to also think of another type of water system–recycled water. Recycled water systems are critically needed to save scarecer fresh drinking water. But the infrastructure for recycled water is in its infancy and needs help in the form of loans and grants for it to fully realize its potential. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:47:38 +0000

Since I don’t live within a city, my drinking water comes from a small, private water authority that I *know* doesn’t have the funding to do all the maintenance they should. I try to help; a year or so back, I called it in when I noticed a persistant wet spot on the pavement a mile or so from my home. They were glad I called; the lady who answered the phone said they had no other way to know about small leaks such as the one I spotted. If it’s not reported, they only find out when the pipes rupture; at that point, the trickle becomes a torrent.

By: armansyahardanis

armansyahardanis — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:36:07 +0000

The water and the sun are interdependence. the human only user. But they hope to us to maintain their product. EPA’s guiding us to be commit to their mission. Do the human sometimes forget it ?

By: Brenda-EPA

Brenda-EPA — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:02:27 +0000

Andy, excellent blog. When I go to schools and ask kids if they know where the water that goes down the drain goes…they have no idea. Most people don’t understand the importance of keepin water infrastructure up to date…and not necesarily that of potable water. Wastewater is a hard concept to go by and we need to explain this to children in a more friendly manner.