DES MOINES, Iowa – Deep inside a complex of huge tanks, drinking water for Iowa’s capital city is constantly cleansed of the harmful nitrates that come from the state’s famously rich farmland.
Without Des Moines Water Works, the region of 500,000 people that it serves wouldn’t have a thriving economy that has become a magnet for tech companies such as Microsoft. But after decades of ceaseless service, the utility is confronting an array of problems: Water mains are cracking open hundreds of times every year. Rivers that provide its water are more polluted than ever. And the city doesn’t know how it will afford a $150 million treatment plant at a time when revenues are down and maintenance costs are up.
“We’re reaching the end of the life cycle of some of the most critical assets we’ve got,” said Bill Stowe, CEO and general manager of the utility.
A similar crisis is unfolding in cities across the country. After decades of keeping water rates low and deferring maintenance, scores of drinking water systems built around the time of World War II and earlier are in need of replacement. The costs to rebuild will be staggering. The costs of inaction are already piling up. The challenge is deepened by drought conditions in some regions and government mandates to remove more contaminants.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency projects that it will cost $384 billion over 20 years to maintain the nation’s existing drinking water systems, which will require tens of thousands of miles of replacement pipe and thousands of new or renovated plants. The American Water Works Association, an industry-backed group, puts the price even higher – $1 trillion to replace all outdated pipes and meet growth over the next quarter-century.
“The future is getting a little dark for something as basic and fundamental as water,” said Adam Krantz of the Water Infrastructure Network, a lobbying group that is fighting cuts to key federal water programs.
A shortage of money
Unlike pothole-scarred roads or crumbling bridges, decaying water systems often go unnoticed until they fail.
“Buried infrastructure is out of sight, out of mind. We take it for granted. We turn on the faucet and we get good, clean, quality water,” said Will Williams, head of asset management for the engineering firm Black & Veatch and an expert on water infrastructure.
Cities and utilities have historically been reluctant to raise rates or to incur high levels of debt to pay for them, although both are happening more often.
“That’s the key that Americans have to understand: If they want this system, they are going to have to be willing to finance it, to pay for it,” said Greg DiLoreto, past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The importance of pipes
Some pipes date back to the 1800s. As they get older, they fail in different ways. Some split and rupture, with an estimated 700 main breaks occurring around the U.S. every day. The most devastating failures damage roadways, close businesses and shut off service for hours or days. If pipes are particularly bad, they can taint the water.
Sophisticated computer programs are helping some water systems prioritize which pipes should be replaced, but tight budgets often mean the fixes don’t come until it’s too late.
Replacing one mile of water main can cost from $500,000 to more than $1 million, but doing so is far less disruptive to customers than if it fails first. Experts say a peak of up to 20,000 miles of pipe will need to be replaced annually beginning around 2035, up from roughly 5,000 miles currently. Des Moines Water Works alone has 1,600 miles of distribution pipes.
More unavoidable costs
Pipes aren’t the only components in need of big investments. Many water-treatment plants are 70 to 100 years old and need to be replaced or rebuilt with new systems at a cost of tens of millions of dollars even in small cities.
To make matters worse, the need for new investment comes as revenue is falling, in large part because Americans are using less water and installing more efficient water fixtures.
Many households affected by drought have cut their usage, either voluntarily or because of mandatory orders. Even after the drought ends, their old habits often never return. That is good for conservation but means less money for water systems, which charge customers based on the amount used.
To deal with the loss of income, many water districts have been forced to raise rates. So in essence, customers are paying more for using less.
Add it up, and customers’ water bills will need to climb rapidly across the country to keep the current level of service. Experts say the trend, which will disproportionately hurt the low-income, is likely to continue in coming decades.
