|
||
| March Issue Post Date 3/18/05 | www.mcelroy.com | |
| CONTENTS |
|
Note From The Editor It is the first report since 2001 and the overall grade fell from a D+ to D, which doesn't stand for dandy. 24 top engineers analyzed published material and surveyed 2,000 engineers in the field to compile the report. The society estimated the total cost of bringing infrastructure to an acceptable level at $1.6 trillion over five years. The three lowest grades were assigned to drinking water, wastewater and navigable waterways, which all received a D-. The nation's drinking water system alone needed an investment of $11 billion a year to replace facilities and comply with regulations. Federal funding reached less than 10 percent of the amount needed for water and wastewater. Despite this, Congress cut funding for wastewater management in 2005 and the Bush administration has proposed another 33% reduction for 2006. In 2001 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a survey and concluded that $151 billion would be needed over 20 years to repair the nation's water systems and protect public health. A year later, the agency issued The Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis, which said the 20-year funding gap was $161 billion, a $10 billion increase from the 2001 estimate. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concluded in 2003 that "current funding from all levels of government and current revenues generated from ratepayers will not be sufficient to meet the nation's future demand for water infrastructure." The ASCE feels clean and safe water is no less a national priority than are national defense, interstate highways, and the aviation system. These other infrastructure programs receive sustainable, long-term federal grant programs; under current policy, water and wastewater infrastructure do not. The current federal budget process does not differentiate between expenditures for current consumption and long-term investment. This causes major inefficiencies in the planning, design and construction process for long-term investments. A capital budget system would help Congress to focus on programs devoted to long-term results. This is where HDPE has a distinct advantage over other piping materials. The facts are clear, and neither Federal assistance nor rate hikes have kept pace with demand for our infrastructure. New solutions are needed for what amounts to nearly $1 trillion dollars in critical water and wastewater funding. Not meeting these investment needs means putting the public's health, environment and the economy in jeopardy. HDPE is the physical solution to many infrastructure problems and a federal grant program will help HDPE's long-term benefits shine.Drew L. Wilson; Editor (918) 831-9286 Productivity Tip McElroy In The News
To check out the new TracStars go to: www.mcelroy.com or call 918-836-8611. Case Studies Links North American Society for Trenchless Technology American Water Works Association American Society of Civil Engineers Foundation Newsletter Links Water World - Receive news from WaterWorld, Industrial Waterworld and Water & Wastewater International. Water Tech Online North American Society of Trenchless Technology Insider and Pipeline Newsletter If you would like a link to your newsletter posted in McElroy Connections, contact Drew L. Wilson at 918-831-9286 or McElroy Connections welcomes your feedback, story ideas, tips, or anything else related to PE Pipe and Pipe fusion. Please email your comments and story ideas to: FOR NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS: To subscribe, visit http://www.mcelroy.com/fusion/forms/newsletter.htm McElroy Connections is published by McElroy Manufacturing Inc. The information contained within each issue is meant as a service to our customers, distributors, and those involved with Polyethylene Pipe applications.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
I read the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2005 report card on America 's Infrastructure and it scared me so badly that I dragged my family into the storm cellar to see how long we could survive on canned fruit and bottled water. Just kidding. The report is bad, but not as scary as being confined to a small space with my kids.
