Aging Water Infrastructure and System Losses
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
Many U.S. water systems rely on pipes laid in the early to mid-20th century. The American Society of Civil Engineers has repeatedly graded the nation's drinking-water and wastewater infrastructure near the bottom of its report card, citing a water main break roughly every two minutes nationwide.
Leaking pipes waste a significant share of treated water before it ever reaches a tap — water that utilities paid to source, treat, and pump. The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directed tens of billions of dollars toward water-system upgrades, including lead service-line replacement.
Reinvestment is also an opportunity: as utilities rebuild, many are designing for reuse, advanced treatment, and resilience rather than simply replacing pipe-for-pipe.
Sources & further reading
States facing this
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Maryland
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