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Basic Information
- What does EPA mean by “sustainable infrastructure”?
- What is the Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative?
- What are the Four Pillars of Sustainable Infrastructure?
- What can be said generally about the age of the nation’s infrastructure?
- What is the useful life of infrastructure?
- Why is it so important to properly maintain infrastructure assets?
- What is an example of how poor maintenance could affect water quality and costs?
- Can actions that would fall under the initiative really help address the gap?
What does EPA mean by “sustainable infrastructure”?
The 1987 Bruntland report from the World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs". In considering infrastructure, the U.S. population today benefits from the investments that were made over the past several decades to build our nation’s water infrastructure. Looking forward, EPA wants to promote practices that encourage utilities and their customers to address existing needs so that future generations will not be left to address the approaching wave of infrastructure needs that will result from aging infrastructure.
What is the Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative?
EPA is committing to promote sustainable practices that will help to reduce the potential gap between funding needs and spending at the local and national level. The Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative will guide our efforts in changing how the nation views, values, manages, and invests in its water infrastructure. EPA is working with the water industry to identify best practices that have helped many of the Nation’s utilities address a variety of management challenges and extend the use of these practices to a greater number of utilities. We believe that collaboration with a coalition of leaders, with EPA playing a prominent role, can build a roadmap for the future promotion of sustainable infrastructure.
What are the Four Pillars of Sustainable Infrastructure?
EPA believes that better management practices, efficient water use, full-cost pricing of water and a watershed approach to protection can all help utilities to operate more sustainably now and in the long-term.
- Better Management of water and wastewater utilities can encompass practices like asset management and environmental management systems. Consolidation and public/private partnerships could also offer utilities significant savings.
- Rates that reflect the Full Cost Pricing of service and rate restructuring can help utilities capture the actual costs of operating water systems, raise revenues, and also help to conserve water.
- Efficient Water Use is critical, particularly in those parts of the country that are undergoing water shortages. We need to create market incentives to encourage more efficient use of water and to protect our sources of water.
- Watershed Approaches looks more broadly at water resources in a coordinated way, which is challenging because we have not traditionally thought of infrastructure management within the context of water quality protection.
What can be said generally about the age of the nation’s infrastructure?
Much of the water infrastructure in the country was built in the period following World War II and it is aging. However, it is important to note that age, in and of itself, does not necessarily point to problems. If a system is well maintained, it can operate over a long time period. Looking at pipes only, an EPA survey found that in systems that serve more than 100,000 people, about 30% of the pipes were between 40 and 80 years old and about 10% of the pipes were more than 80 years old.
What is the useful life of infrastructure?
Treatment plants typically have a useful life of 20-50 years before they require expansion or rehabilitation. Pipes have life cycles that can range from 15 to over 100 years depending on the type of material and the environment. Looking at pipe, the material used can be a greater indicator of failure than age. Steel pipes installed more than 80 years ago have proven to be much more resilient to failure than pipes made of different materials installed more recently.
Why is it so important to properly maintain infrastructure assets?
Water infrastructure is expensive as are the monetary and social costs incurred when infrastructure fails, so it only makes sense to make sure that it is properly maintained. If a system is well maintained, it can operate safely over a long time period. A new system that is not properly operated can threaten public health more than an older system that is properly operated. Utilities need to carry out an ongoing process of oversight, evaluation, maintenance and replacement of their assets as needed to maximize the useful life of infrastructure. EPA is focused on encouraging utilities to develop a better way of managing their infrastructure - understanding the condition and making risk-based decisions on maintaining and improving infrastructure.
What is an example of how poor maintenance could affect water quality and costs?
Long-term corrosion of older mains can result in tuberculation, thereby reducing the pipe's carrying capacity. The reduction in carrying capacity requires increasing investments in power and pumping, causing a trade-off between the reduction in hydraulic capacity and the increased operation and maintenance costs to get water from one point to another. Also, bacterial growth within tubercles may cause a potential health problem. Tuberculation also weakens the main by reducing the wall thickness. These reductions in carrying capacity and in strength can increase pumping, breakage, and repair costs, and, consequently, the cost of water delivery
Can actions that would fall under the initiative really help address the gap?
We believe that utilities can take actions that will reduce their operating costs and thus help to close the gap. As an example, the Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has made a commitment to addressing their utility in a sustainable manner. The SPU implemented a progressive water rate structure with conservation pricing and developed an innovative water efficiency program, which features incentives for the purchase of water-efficient products. These activities have allowed the utility to reduce the overall water demand by more than 20% and they continue to look for savings. The SPU has also used asset management techniques to reduce its FY 2004 capital budget by 13% and its operating budget by 7%.