Report: U.S. Water Bills to Triple

From Newsmax:

Report: U.S. Water Bills to Triple

A troubling new report asserts that Americans will see their water bills double or triple in coming years to cover repairs to the nation’s crumbling drinking water system.

Fixing and expanding underground water systems will cost over $1 trillion in the next 25 years and users will have to pay the bill, according to the American Water Works Association.

"Because pipe assets last a long time, water systems that were built in the later part of the 19th century and throughout much of the 20th century have, for the most part, never experienced the need for pipe replacement on a large scale," said the report.

"The dawn of an era in which the assets will need to be replaced puts growing stress on communities that will continue to increase for decades to come."

Families can expect to pay at least $300 a year more for water in taxes and fees just to keep their current systems operating. Add the cost of systems growth and improvement, and that bill increases to $900 for a family of three, said the report.

Currently, Americans pay about $335 a year for household water, according to the association.

Spending heavily now on upgrading the water system means lower costs in the future. But given the current mood for reduced government spending, a delayed and therefore more expensive fix is almost assured, the Water Works Association predicts.

“The United States is reaching a crossroads and faces a difficult choice,” the report states.

“We can incur the haphazard and growing costs of living with aging and failing drinking water infrastructure. Or we can carefully prioritize and undertake drinking water infrastructure renewal investments to ensure that our water utilities can continue to reliably and cost-effectively support the public health, safety, and economic vitality of our communities.”