The time to pass next year’s budgets is nearly upon us, and many water systems have big projects in mind that they’d like to finance and tackle in the coming year. In a tight economy, though, it’s easy to put the preventive stuff as a low priority in order to tackle the most vital repairs.
Obviously, vital repairs are a must. But preventive maintenance is important as well. Though it may seem to be a cost saver to wait on replacing valves or seals or repair those tiny cracks, spending a few extra dollars now could save big bucks in the long run. Much like regular oil changes extend the life of your vehicle’s engine, regular maintenance can extend the life of your water or wastewater system.
In this edition of eBulletin, we’ll talk about a recent report’s assessment of water and wastewater infrastructure, how you can find help to fix your system and what small systems can do to preserve the life of their equipment.
Mayors’ take on infrastructure
The United States Conference of Mayors gathers mayors from all over the country, from towns of all shapes and sizes, to address common local issues. In 1995, the Mayors Water Council began operating.
After its December 2009 conference, the council prepared an extensive study that it released earlier this year regarding water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States. The full report, titled “Trends in Local Government Expenditures on Public Water and Wastewater Services and Infrastructure: Past, Present and Future,” can be found at the link provided below.
The mayors say in the report that the federal government has increased the number of mandates for safe drinking water, but without an equal increase in federal money, local governments are finding it harder to keep up because they lack the money to upgrade or replace inadequate infrastructure. The idea behind the report is to figure out exactly what’s being spent on infrastructure and where the money truly is going, so it can be prioritized to better meet future needs.
According to the report, local governments have spent about $1.61 trillion on public water and wastewater systems over more than 50 years, from 1956-2008. The report offers three estimates spending over the next 20 years, a low, middle and high estimate. The lowest estimate shows that local governments will nearly double their spending on public water and wastewater systems over the next 20 years, to nearly $2.495 trillion. That’s nearly double the money in less than half the time. And that’s the low estimate. The average estimate is $3.334 trillion, and the high estimate stands at $4.353 billion, nearly triple what has been spent in the last 50 years.
Part of the reason for the expected increase is that the parts, chemicals and materials themselves have risen in cost. But the biggest reason for this jump may be in the infrastructure itself.
Much of the country’s infrastructure today was laid out in an age when indoor plumbing was being modernized, water and wastewater was coming under new regulations such as the Clean Water Act and “baby boomers” were leading the march into urban sprawl. As a result, much of the infrastructure is reaching or surpassing its prime about the same time.
Population growth, sprawl and the demand for “modern conveniences” are pushing decades-old infrastructure past its limits. Systems are at a critical stage nationwide, while the number of regulations regarding safe water and wastewater is increasing. Many communities are trying upgrade as quickly as possible to meet both local demand and state and federal regulations. At the same time, they must find a way to handle the costs without saddling customers with hefty increases they might not be able to handle.
The real problem, especially for smaller systems, is finding the millions of dollars needed for major infrastructure upgrades. While financing is available through several entities, the money can take a while to start flowing.
So what do water systems do in the meantime? In most cases, they do the only thing they can – make temporary fixes until a permanent solution is reached.
Is it possible to extend the life of your water system? What is the expected life span of the system? How do you find the money to fix the problems or upgrade?
We have a few answers.
Additional Resources
U.S. Conference of Mayors – Mayors Water Council
http://www.usmayors.org/urbanwater/ [1]
Water/Wastewater report, Mayors Water Council
http://www.usmayors.org/publications/201002-mwc-trends.pdf [2]
How long will it last?
Nothing last forever, at that certainly goes for water and wastewater infrastructure.
So how long should you expect your lovely new products to last?
Some products may need replacing within five years, such as computer systems, disinfection equipment and lab equipment. Other items, such as hydrants, valves and transmission mains, can last up to 35-40 years.
A few examples of the estimated lives of various parts:
- Valves - 35 years
- Transmission mains and pipes – 35 years
- Service lines – 30 years
- Concrete and metal storage tanks – 30 years
- Transformers and wiring – 20 years
- Tools and shop equipment – 15 years
- Pumping equipment – 10 years
- Chlorination equipment – 10 years
- Sensors – 7 years
- Lab and monitoring equipment – 5 years
- Computer equipment and software – 5 years
So if the main parts of your system were built or laid before 1975, chances are those parts are past their prime and may need replacing soon.
Regular maintenance can extend those estimates by a few years. The problem with some systems nowadays is they are using equipment older than that. The result is a higher chance of failure or contamination. Many such systems are in rural areas that can’t afford to shell out millions of dollars on a new system.
Luckily, help is available.
What can be done?
Financing is available to help water and wastewater systems with major upgrades. Funding is available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and USDA-Rural Development, among others. Small or supplemental loans are available through the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) and its affiliates. More information is available on RCAP’s web site or by clicking the “Financial Assistance” button on the Safe Drinking Water Trust’s home page here at this site.
You also can consult with one of RCAP’s regional Technical Assistance Provider. These providers can assess your system and offer suggestions on the best way to repair and maintain your system or on how to get financing to repair or replace it.
In the meantime, there are a few things that can be done to help protect the system you have and maybe even extend its life. Here are a few suggestions:
- Perform routine maintenance as recommended by the manufacturer, as well as to comply with state and federal regulations. Manufacturers test their products thoroughly and make the recommendations with the idea of prolonging the life of the product.
- Keep an updated map of the system, from wells to pipes and everything in between. Knowing where everything’s buried means less of a chance that equipment can be damaged by digging or construction. It also means you will be able to access problem areas faster before they cause more damage.
- During routine inspections to ensure there are no leaks or breaks, keep an eye out nearby for potential dangers to the system from outside entities, such as corrosive material, digging or failing electrical equipment.
- Work with municipal or county governments to spread the word about contacting your system before any digging takes place. While construction workers may know to call, homeowners may not, and their new in-ground swimming pool they decide to dig themselves could prove as costly to you as it is to them.
- Make repairs as quickly as possible, even small ones. A tiny crack may not be a big deal today, but it could cause a leak a week or month from now, which will add to your repair costs.
- Ensure all equipment is well insulated or protected from the weather to prevent cracking and other damage.
- Make sure your equipment is secured, not only from humans but from animals as well.
- Consider working with nearby communities to set up an agreement or a Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) in case of emergencies, so vital equipment can be borrowed if needed, or emergency water supplies can be obtained in case of system failure.