The Hill News

Americans received a splash of cold reality about their water bills recently.
 
The average household water bill could double or even triple in order to cover more than $1 trillion in infrastructure costs to repair and expand the existing drinking water system in the U.S., according to a new study by the American Water Works Association (AWWA).
 
Consider for a moment that much of our water infrastructure â€" the millions of miles of pipes, wastewater treatment plants, pump stations and drinking water treatment systems â€" dates to before the Roosevelt Administration and you start to get a picture of what we’re up against.  (That’s Teddy Roosevelt, by the way.)
 
In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers rated the nation’s water systems a D-, the lowest grades of any infrastructure including roads and bridges.  Not surprising considering we lose some 6 billion gallons of treated water each day due to leaky and aging pipes, ! some 14 percent of the nation’s water use.

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