Coal Ash Ponds and Landfills Around the U.S.

Millions of tons of coal ash, a bi-product of burning coal for electricity, are being stored in ponds, landfills, and abandoned mines. Environmentalists charge that these sites pose a hazard to neighboring communities from potential disasters, such as the massive coal ash spill at Tennessee Valley Authority site in 2008, and from groundwater contamination as disposal sites leak slowly. Some of these plants were under the radar, and had never been identified before by EPA or in our earlier reports on ash ponds and landfill,” explained EIP Director Eric Schaeffer in a press release.

EPA Data Reveals New Coal Ash Water Contamination Sites

EPA surveyed 42 other power plants which indicated either that water monitoring data was unavailable, refused to disclose monitoring data on the grounds that it is proprietary information, or simply assured EPA that there was no contamination. However, EIP points out that those assurances don’t match state-level water monitoring data revealing problems at some of those same plants.

“EPA’s Office of Solid Waste is still grinding away on proposed standards for coal ash disposal“ more than three years after the TVA spill “ but has somehow never found the time to require testing of the groundwater next to coal ash sites, or even to systematically collect the data that is already there. This ’see no evil’ approach leaves the public at risk, and makes it easier for polluters to duck responsibility for a growing problem,” charged Schaeffer.

Chemicals From Coal Ash Contaminating Groundwater

Chemicals reported in levels violating the Safe Drinking Water Act or Federal Health Advisory levels include the following:

1. arsenic (a potent carcinogen) reported at no fewer than 22 sites;
2. manganese (a metal that can damage the nervous system in high concentrations) at 22;
3. boron (a pollutant that can cause damage to the stomach, intestines, liver, kidney, and brain when ingested in large amounts) at 12;
4. selenium (a toxic pollutant that causes adverse health effects at high exposures) at 13; and
5. cadmium (a toxic pollutant that can damage the kidneys, lungs, and bones) at 10.

DesSmogBlog reports: “This new report comes on the heels of a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on an amendment to the Surface Transportation Act of 2012 that would prohibit the EPA from regulating coal ash. That amendment was put forward by Representative David McKinley, a Republican from West Virginia.”

Big Berkey water filter customers can rest easy that the Black Berkey filters remove up to 95% of heavy metals like the ones found in the report. In addition, the PF-2 fluoride and arsenic filters will target arsenic in particular and further remove heavy metals.

This news piece showcases both the stainless and plastic berkey water filters, the sport berkey, and some Wise long term food storage products. It is a great introduction to those interested in a home water filter and the basics of emergency preparedness. We hope that readers new to the subject will find some valuable information.

This news piece will begin running on PBS stations nationwide starting June 25th, 2012 for approximately 1 year.

The Dog Waste Water Pollution Problem

USAToday reports that 40% of dog owners do not pick up their animal’s contribution to the 10 million tons of dog waste generated in the United States annually. In only takes 2 to 3 days for 100 dogs to drop enough bacteria to contaminate a bay and force officials to close it and all waterways within 20 miles to swimming and fishing.

Dog waste is an environmental pollutant. In 1991, it was placed in the same health category as oil and toxic chemicals by the Environmental Protection Agency, explains Virginia-based pet waste removal company Doody Calls in a press release. Unlike other sources of contamination adding to water pollution, such as lawn fertilizer, rinse water from driveways and motor oil, dog waste produces disease-causing bacteria that can be transmitted directly to humans, especially children, and make them sick.

Because scientists are able to track the origin of fecal bacteria to the species that excreted it, officials can estimate how much of a local water contamination problem is from dog waste as compared to human or farm animal waste. One study showed as much as 90% of the fecal coliform in city stormwater was of non-human origin, mostly dog. Places where dogs dirty the water:

“Stevenson Creek in Clearwater, Florida -. Residents were worried that a sewage treatment plant contaminated the creek. But when Harwood tested the water, she found that dogs, along with leaky septic tanks and wild animals, were to blame for high bacteria counts. Dog feces probably washed out of yards by the creek, Harwood says.

Four Mile Run in Arlington and Fairfax counties, Virginia - Studies show that dogs add to the contamination in this suburban Washington, D.C. stream. Officials calculate that the 12,000 dogs living in Four Mile Run’s watershed leave behind more than 5,000 pounds of “solid waste” every day.

Boise River in Boise, Idaho - The river suffers from high bacteria levels that make it unsuitable for swimming. Testing of streams and drainpipes flowing into the river showed that in urban areas, dogs were a leading culprit. In some spots, dogs and cats account for even more of the bacteria than human feces” from dysfunctional septic tanks and leaky sewage pipes” do.”

Cities and Towns Crack Down on Dog Waste

Seattle officials estimate that at least 1 million dogs live within the Puget Sound watershed. The non-profit Puget Sound Starts Here partnered with local artist Martin Luther and his dog to film a PSA and musical spoof called: Dog Doogity.

Another group called Park Spark in Cambridge, Massachusetts, decided to keep the excrement out of the Charles River by using to to generate electricity.

USAToday reports that dog waste is enough of a problem that many cities are dedicating their limited resources to it:

San Diego - The city spent roughly $10,000 on extra trash cans, nagging signs and plastic ‘mutt mitts’ at its Dog Beach, where the surf was closed to swimmers 125 times in 2000. The measures led to ‘measurably fewer dog piles. That’s the term we use,’ says Ted Medina, deputy director for coastal parks. He estimates the beach is 30%-40% cleaner than it was before the effort started [in 2001].

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area near Atlanta - Bacteria levels in the river exceed standards so often that a Web site tells would-be boaters and swimmers whether the river is safe on any given day. To help clean it up, park officials recently started giving tickets to visitors who have dogs but no doggie bags.

Boulder, Colorado - Here the problem wasn’t dirty water but the nitrogen in dog droppings. Native grasses in the city’s mountain parks are used to low-nitrogen conditions. But with dogs doing their business, weeds were muscling aside the grasses. The city did 10 months of education before starting to hand out $100 fines last year. Boulder officials had to convince residents that dog waste ‘is not fertilizer,’ says Mike Patton, co-director of open space and mountain parks. ‘Some people really did believe it was.’”

Dog Piles Not Just a City Water Pollution Problem

Alarmed by how many dog owners were not cleaning up after their pets on Jefferson County park trails, officials started a public education campaign.

“Unlike wild-animal feces, dog poop does not biodegrade quickly. And the lingering litter is more than a nuisance to trail users; it can be a health risk. The waste can contaminate groundwater with bacteria and parasites,” reports the Denver Post.

“It’s a quality-of-life issue,” said Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink. “People are not picking up the poop. They think it’s a bunch of crap. But the environmental impact is the problem we are after.”

Keeping Poop Out of Our Water: What’s a Responsible Dog Owner to Do?

First, environmentalists and public officials are in agreement, you should not let your dog’s droppings lay near water ways, curbs, or even in your yard. What you should do, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, is . . .

• Bag it - If your city allows, wrapping dog waste in a plastic bag and putting it in the trash prevents it from becoming pollution but also guarantees that it will last for hundreds of years in landfills.
• Flush it - Most sewage treatment systems can handle dog waste flushed down the toilet. If your house has a septic system, check with your manufacturer about the extra load. (Because the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can survive sewage treatment plants, flushing cat waste is not recommended.)
• Process it - An underground pet waste digester is basically a septic tank just for your pet that can be installed in your yard.
• Bury it - So long as your water table isn’t too close to the surface and you keep pet waste away from vegetable gardens and streams, waste can be safely buried in wholes or shallow trenches. Buried waste at least 5 inches deep and always cover fresh waste with with dirt.
• Outsource it - Poop collection services will clean your yard for you if you’d rather not do it yourself.

If you feel you may be at risk drinking water that is potentially contaminated by dog or animal feces, please note that any of the berkey water filter systems equipped with the black berkey filters elements will purify this dangerous bacteria from the water.

Celebrity Water Detox Diet to Cleanse Body Toxins?

Experts disagree over the value and even the safety of the many detox diet plans promoted, and there are many. Between water or juice fasts, cabbage soup plans, all fruit or raw foods cleanses, or personalized Ayurvedic plans, the options can be dizzying.

Beyonce swears by the Master Cleanse, a seven day regime of little but spicy lemonade. This particular cleanse is so popular in Los Angeles that the Brentwood Wholefoods dedicated an entire produce section display to its supplies a couple of years ago (see image above). Gwenyth Paltrow promotes a premix shake and supplement plan. Even Oprah’s favorite Dr. Oz has his own 48 hour cleanse plan.

Doctors and dietitians say the body is actually pretty good at detoxing and a two week cleanse can’t make up for bad habits the rest of the year, but many detox dieters find real benefit in the practice and love their annual or biannual ritual. If you decide one of these plans is for you, be sure to . . .

Detox With Lots of Pure Water

The one thing nearly all cleanse and detox diets have in common is the recommendation to drink lots and lots of water. Some diets recommend a half a gallon of purified water or more per day on top of juices, teas, and soups, all made with more water.

There’s good reason for all this water: we’re nearly 75 percent water and water is what the body uses naturally to flush toxins and hydrate cells. And that’s where Berkey comes in.

A Big Berkey Water Filter Is Your Best Detox Water Choice

While tap water in most of the United States is safe to drink, few water detox diets will recommend it because of possible contaminants and disinfection chemicals. Preparing juices, smoothies, soups, and teas with bottled water as well as drinking it would drive your grocery bill up pretty fast.

Considering that bottled water can cost as much as $8 a gallon, investing in a Berkey Light or other Big Berkey Water Filter could practically pay for itself over a two or three week cleanse. And unlike bottled water which is poorly regulated and shown to contain its own contaminants, you know exactly what’s coming out of your Berkey water filter tap: pure water.

Benefits of Drinking Water Go Way Beyond Detox

For more on how water can make you feel more optimistic, improve mental performance and reaction time, and more, check out our 6 Reasons to Drink More Water.

Scientists are already seeing warmer temperatures, changes in rainfall and snowfall patterns, and rising sea levels. NRDC’s state-by-state analysis of preparedness plans is both a wake-up call and a roadmap for all communities to understand how vital it is to prepare for climate change so we can effectively safeguard our most valuable resources. “Preparing for the impacts of a changing climate requires that states confront reality, and prioritize climate change adaptation to reduce local water risks and create healthier communities”, explains NRDC Water & Climate Program director Steve Fleischli.

Watch Steve Fleischli, Director, NRDC Water & Climate Program, Talk About the Risks of Unpreparedness

NRDC calls out 6 states “Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota” for doing virtually nothing to address climate pollution or prepare for growing climate-related water risks. Another 6 states “Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Texas, and Utah” have done so little that they also fall in the groups least prepared category. 

Click to enlarge image. <EDIT LINK> See the NRDC website for an interactive version of this map.

Is Your Family Prepared for an Emergency? Berkey Water Filters Can Help

Power outages from heavy storms, flooding from excessive or sudden rainfall and other extreme weather events can be frightening and dangerous. Sometimes power can be disrupted for days, tap water can be compromised, and communities can even be evacuated by authorities.

For that reason, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that every household develop an emergency preparedness kit that includes food and water for each family member for several days. In addition to water filters, Berkey sells long-term food storage and an entire line of preparedness products. We even sell solar electric chargers for when you are off the grid but need some power.

Long Term Food Storage the Easy Way with Wise Food Storage

FEMA recommends setting aside a 3-day supply of nonperishable long term food storage for every family member. Wise Food Storage emergency backpack kits and/or lightweight grab-and-go food storage buckets are the perfect companion to a Berkey water filter for family preparedness. Wise meals cost only about $1.60 per serving, have a shelf life of 25 years, are easy to transport and prepare in an emergency, and taste great.

Big Berkey Water Filters Are Your Portable Safe Water Solution

FEMA also recommends keeping a minimum supply of drinkable water ”3 gallons per person” on hand in case drinking water becomes compromised or unavailable. With Berkey water filters, your water supply is not limited to what you can store or carry. Gravity filters don’t require a power source and Berkey’s have been shown to remove common contaminants, bacteria, and other microorganisms down to barely or non-detectable levels. Berkey customers can rest easy knowing that their filter will make any available water into drinkable water.

Vitamin Water

Essentially synthetic vitamins, sugar, and artificial colors and flavors dissolved in water, the nutritional label does make Vitamin Water seem like a better choice than soda. But is it?

Emily Playscello of Fit Sugar did the math. The nutritional claims on the Vitamin Water label are based on serving size. Since most people probably drink the whole 2.5-serving bottle at once, that calculation is more important. “[O]ne bottle of Vitamin Water contains 125 calories and 33 grams of sugar. (Remind me again why they try to call this a form of “water”?) That’s more calories and sugar than a 12 ounce serving of Coke . . . Now, Coke contains high fructose corn syrup and is not fortified, but nutritionally, you’re still getting sugar and calories from both drinks.”

Coconut Water

Often advertised as an all-natural, low sugar alternative to sports drinks with healing properties far beyond exercise recovery, some nutritionists warn that coconut water isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Coconut water is the liquid found in a young coconut and is often served fresh in the coconut in tropical climates. For those of us in more temperate locales, the coconut water is harvested, pasteurized, bottled, and shipped.

As far as calories and sugar goes, coconut water is a better choice than soda or other high sugar beverages (64.5 calories/15 g sugar per 12 ounce serving compared to 110 cal/30 g sugar for soda). But since it can be an acquired taste, many beverage makers blend it with juice, which naturally increases the sugar and calorie content. Reporters Katherine Hobson and Angela Haupt compared plain coconut water by Zico with Gatorade for USNews & World Report:

Gatorade: 6.25 calories, 1.75 grams sugar, 3.75 mg potassium, 13.75 mg sodium

(plain) Zico: 5.45 calories, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 mg potassium, 5.45 mg sodium

From a sugar and calories perspective, Zico seems to be a slightly better choice, but, say Hobson and Haupt, if you are rehydrating from exercise, you actually want the sodium in Gatorade more than the potassium in coconut water.

Zico doesn’t offer coconut water/juice blends. Their flavored varieties are just that: flavored. So let’s look at a competitor’s offering:

Vita Coco Coconut Water with Pineapple: 7.06 calories, 1.9 grams sugar, 61 mg potassium, 3.6 mg sodium.

If you drink the entire 17 ounce bottle of Vita Coco, that’s 120 calories, slightly more than the same-size serving of Gatorade.

Sports Drinks

Powerade, Gatorade, and sports recovery drink relatives have poured significant research funds into developing that most palatable beverage that delivers the quickest electrolyte replenishment along with hydration.

The biggest problem with sports drinks is that most people don’t need them; they don’t exercise hard enough to need to electrolyte replenishment or even burn enough calories to offset the beverage. Unless you are exercising hard for more than 90 minutes, sports drinks do no better than water in most hydration studies.

Sports beverages are still basically processed sugar, salts, artificial flavor, and color. If you do need sugar/electrolyte boost and those ingredients don’t sit well with you, a handful of salted pretzels with your water before or after exercise also provides easily digestible carbohydrates and sodium.

Drink Water

Your Berkey filtered water continues to be the winner for hydration and health. If you like your filtered water flavored, try adding a squeeze of lemon, a slice of fresh ginger, a few peppermint leaves, or even an herbal tea bag (yes, it works with cold water).  Taking your Sport Berkey or other water bottle in the morning before you head out is a good way to both; keep drinking water, and staying away from unhealthy sports drinks and other sugary beverages.

In all, industrial polluters dumped 226 million pounds of toxic chemicals into U.S. waterways in 2010. Polluters in just the top 5 states Indiana, Virginia, Nebraska, Texas and Georgia were responsible for 40% of all toxins released into U.S. waterways, according to the non-profit advocacy organizations Environment America and Frontier Group which analyzed the data.

Toxic Water Pollution By River Watershed

Polluters have been self-reporting toxin releases since 1987, but 2010 is the first year for which EPA classified releases by watershed.

source: Wasting Our Waterways

Top polluters across the country included food and beverage manufacturing, heavy metals manufacturing, chemical plants, and petroleum refineries. One company, AK Steel, released 30 million pounds of toxins into waterways in Indiana and Ohio.

Toxic River Pollution to Drinking Water Contamination

These toxins persist in the environment and, because most larger U.S. towns and cities draw drinking water from rivers and lakes, they can be piped right into our homes. The New York Times reported in 2009 that the tap water of 1 in 10 Americans either contained dangerous chemicals or failed drinking water health standards. This is just another reason why we believe owning a home water filter like the berkey water filter is critical to protecting one’s health.

Lax Clean Water Act Enforcement Leads To Polluter Playground

Environment America and Frontier Group did not estimate how much of the total toxins released represent illegal pollution or exceedences of Clean Water Act permits. According to the groups, lax enforcement is a major reason that 40 years after the Clean Water Act became law, America’s waterways remain a “polluter’s paradise.” The report explains:

“States (who are primarily responsible for enforcing the law in most of the country) have often been unwilling to tighten pollution limits on industrial dischargers and have often let illegal polluters get away with exceeding their permitted pollution levels without penalty or with only a slap on the wrist.

The Clean Water Act intended pollution discharge permits to be gradually tightened to force innovation toward safer industries and progress toward universally drinkable and swimable waterways. Not only is this not happening, as of 2009 almost 1 in 5 discharge permits for major industrial facilities was expired.

“The Clean Water Act’s original objective was to clean up all of America’s waterways by 1985, 27 years ago,” said Rob Kerth, analyst for Frontier Group and co-author of the report. “Many people born in 1985 have kids of their own now, yet still millions of pounds of toxic chemicals are being dumped into our waterways.”

We covered this a couple of years ago in response to a new york times piece on the failure of the Clean Water Act, and it’s sad to say not much has changed and doesn’t look to be anytime soon.

Water Quality State and county authorities issued 24,091 beach closing and advisory days in 2010 due to pollution, primarily from sewage and animal waste, which could expose swimmers to a host of waterborne illnesses.

Sewage Contamination From Cities and Farms

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the advocacy organization that calculated the beach-closing statistic, pollution from leaky sewer pipes or overflows during heavy rains are a primary source of human sewage pollution in waterways.

In many urban areas, rain runoff from roofs and roads is directed into the same pipes that carry household sewage to the local water treatment plant. During very heavy storms, the system can be overwhelmed and rainwater and untreated sewage simply overflows into local waterways. In more rural areas, poorly contained animal agriculture operations allow rain to wash waste into waterways.

Surfers and Swimmers Get Sick from Contaminated Beach Water

The latest issue of Surfer magazine reports: “Most official county advisories warn to avoid contact with the water for 72 hours after a heavy rain, a three-day buffer to allow the collective runoff to thin to healthy levels.”

Many surfers don’t wait that long, either because they don’t realize they should or they think they tougher than the bacteria in the water. “Surfers sometimes believe that they are immune to ocean-related illness, because they have been surfing that same spot for years, or that the water quality is not as bad as it is hyped up to be,” explains Paloma Aguirre, spokesperson for the San Diego-based environmental organization WiLDCOAST.

Even Sandcastles Can Harbor Beach Bacteria

According to NRDC, it’s not just surfers who are at risk. Swimmers and other beach-goers, especially pregnant women, children, the elderly and those with a weakened immune system need to heed warnings and stay out of the water when bacteria levels rise. Not only that, minimizing exposure to beach sand after an advisory is issued may be just as important.

“Bacteria concentrate in sand as water rises and recedes with the tides, leaving both the wet sand and the dry sand just beyond it more heavily contaminated than the water. Because of this, it is most important to keep beach sand out of the mouths of toddlers. Keeping your hands out of it or washing them after playing in the sand is also a good idea,” explains the NRDC website.

Pollution Illnesses on The Rise

Pollution at U.S. beaches exposes swimmers to a range of waterborne illnesses and may cause stomach flu, skin rashes, pinkeye, ear, nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and other serious health problems.

It is hard to determine the number of gastroenteritis cases or other diseases caused by swimming in polluted water. There is no national reporting system in the United States to help epidemiologists track national trends, but the Centers for Disease Control estimate that illness from contaminated beach water is on the rise. One study conducted by the agency concluded that 10 percent of Great Lakes beachgoers get sick after swimming.

Fixing Sewers and Protecting the Public from Pollution

RDC and other public health advocates are calling for a variety of reforms that include increased funding for sewer treatment plant upgrades and sewage system repair. The public could also be better protected by improving water quality testing speed, accuracy, and public notification systems.

Read more:

Fixing Leaky Pipes Could Triple U.S. Water Bills
Green Infrastructure Protects Rivers Around the United States
E. Coli Contamination of Drinking Water

We all know that drinking too much soda is bad for your teeth and waistline, but researchers have uncovered all sorts of other scary health effects of drinking Coca Cola, Mountain Dew, and their many soft drink relatives.

Health Reasons to Skip the Soda (and Just Drink Water)

While Coca Cola and Pepsi Co both recently agreed to reformulate their caramel coloring to reduce a carcinogenic ingredient banned in California, there are many other scary reasons to cut back.

1. Soda Drinkers Accumulate Fat in Dangerous, Hard-to-Detect Places

Some of the health effects correlated with soda consumption may actually be due to the likelihood that calories from these sugared drinks displace healthier beverages that would have provided important nutrients or that heavy soda drinkers have a poor diet overall. However, a recent Danish study connects non-diet soda consumption to dangerous fat accumulation in the liver and skeleton even when non-soda drinkers consumed the same calories.

“Researchers asked participants to drink either regular soda, milk containing the same amount of calories as regular soda, diet cola, or water every day for six months. The results? Total fat mass remained the same across all beverage-consuming groups, but regular-soda drinkers experienced dramatic increases in harmful hidden fats, including liver fat and skeletal fat,” The Daily Times reports.

2. BPA in Soda Can Liners Mimic Hormones

In February 2012, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported that it found the plastic softener bisphenol-a in 96% of the cans of soda it tested. Both the beverage companies and Health Canada assured the public that the levels of BPA exposure from soda is not dangerous. However, people are exposed to BPA from hundreds of possible sources.

Dr. Frederick vom Saal, a biologist at the University of Missouri at Columbia known for discovering health problems linked to exposure to common chemicals in everyday products told the Globe and Mail: “there is also a growing body of scientific literature, based on animal experiments, that has found harmful effects due to BPA at concentrations up to 1,000 times below Health Canada’s safety limit. These conditions include such hormonally linked illnesses as breast cancer, and Dr. vom Saal called the government’s assurances of no harm ‘simple-minded.’”

3. Flame-retardants In Citrus-Flavored Soft-Drinks And Sports-Drinks

Soda companies’ use brominated vegetable oil (BVO) to keep ingredients from separating in approximately 10 percent of sodas including Mountain Dew and other citrus flavored soft drinks. BVO is patented as a flame retardant in Japan and banned in food products in Europe.

“After a few extreme soda binges — not too far from what many [video] gamers regularly consume – a few patients have needed medical attention for skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders, all symptoms of overexposure to bromine,” according to a recent article in Environmental News.

4. Corn-syrup from Sweetened Beverages Comes from Genetically Modified Corn

More than 85% of the corn grown in the United States is genetically modified (gmo). And most of that goes into processed foods and animal feed. According to The Center for Food Safety, “[h]uman health effects can include higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression and cancer.”

Environmental Reasons to Pass on Pop (and Just Drink Water)

5. Artificial Sweeteners in Soda End Up In Drinking Water

In a 2009 study published in Environmental Science & Technology researchers found that sweeteners in the soda we are drinking are not being filtered out by sewerage treatment plants are circulating back around in our drinking water again.

6. Soda Has a Big Water Footprint

According to a Wall Street Journal article, it takes as much as 132 gallons of water to make a 2-liter bottle of soda. Some of that water is used in farming the ingredients and some is used in the manufacture and bottling. All that water has to come from somewhere. Farmers near Mehdiganj in northern India blame the local Coca Cola bottling plant for a 6-meter drop in the water table since 2000 when the plant opened.

Bonus, Totally Unsurprising Reason to Choose Water Over Soda

1. Filtered Water Tastes Great and Is Much Cheaper than Soda

The first 6000 gallons filtered through your Berkey water filter costs less than $0.02. Once you’ve replaced the filter in the same durable housing, your per gallon cost even less. That compares to more than $4 per gallon for soda by the can.

Tap Water Pipe Repairs Will Cost Households Up To $550 More Per Year

Because water delivery is funded primarily from utility bills, AWWA estimates the increased cost for repair and expansion of drinking water systems at $100 - $550 or more per household. Estimates vary dramatically at the local level, depending on the age of the community’s pipes and the size of the system:

“In the most affected small communities, the study suggests that a typical three-person household could see its drinking water bill increase by as much as $550 per year above current levels . . . In the largest water systems, costs can be spread over a large population base. Needed investments would be consistent with annual per household cost increases ranging from roughly $75 to more than $100 per year by the mid-2030s . . .”

Needed repairs are “going to challenge many communities, particularly those where they’ve been experiencing economic problems, and also in some places where the population has declined. You have a smaller customer base that has to pay a bigger bill, and that’s never a welcome circumstance,” Aurel Arndt, general manager of the Lehigh County Authority and advisory council member, explained to the Huffington Post.

Population Growth and Crumbling Sewers Drive Water Bills Up More

In the Northeast and Midwest, repair of existing systems will be the primary cost increase driver. But in the West and South, where communities have newer systems but growing populations, laying pipes to new development will be a much bigger component of water bill increases.

Regional Water Infrastructure Costs

“The needs uncovered in ‘Buried No Longer’ are large, but they are not insurmountable,” said AWWA Executive Director David LaFrance. “When you consider everything that tap water delivers — public health protection, fire protection, support for the economy, the quality of life we enjoy – we owe it to future generations to confront the infrastructure challenge today.” 

The American Water Works Association is a membership organization of the nation’s public utility companies and is advocating increased federal funding for water infrastructure.