Closing America’s Infrastructure Gap
May 9th, 2016 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Failure to Act – 2016 Report
- GDP
- jobs
- personal disposable income, and
- business sales.
Investment in Water Infrastructure Works
September 12th, 2014 | By: Becky Moylan
So often, our water infrastructure goes unnoticed until a pipe bursts. Lately, there have been several events drawing attention to the water sector’s significance, including the water main break at UCLA, algae in Toledo drinking water, and drought in California. Water infrastructure deserves our attention and investment for many reasons, beyond the most recent media attention. This week, ASCE co-hosted Water Works!, a day of events highlighting the economic value in the water sector. The legislative day in Washington, D.C. included the release of a report, which emphasizes the economic impact of water, wastewater and storm water utilities.
Rep. Bob Gibbs, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and Sen. Ben Cardin sharing their thoughts on the importance of water infrastructure for our economy.
The report, National Economic & Labor Impacts of the Water Utility Sector, reveals the sector supports $524 billion in economic activity. Furthermore, in the next decade the utilities will include 289,000 jobs.
Congressional leaders and public officials shared their thoughts on the importance of investment in infrastructure during a press briefing, which emphasized the bipartisan agreement of water infrastructure investment. “Water infrastructure is a priority we cannot allow to remain unaddressed,” remarked Rep. Tim Bishop, Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, as a call to action to “build on the accomplishments of WRRDA.” The importance of the water sector was underscored in Sen. Ben Cardin’s comments, as he pointed to the sector’s role in public safety and job growth. Rep. Bob Gibbs, Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment echoed those sentiments, and noted that the aging infrastructure is costing us millions of dollars as valuable water is being lost each day through leaky pipes and breaks. Following the press briefing, a panel of local water leaders shared their water infrastructure investment success stories. The conversation centered around ensuring safe, reliable and affordable water. Wednesday’s events showcase the continuous effort and conversation surrounding improving the nation’s D grade water infrastructure. You can get involved and increase the ripple effect by learning more about the report and utilizing the data to showcase the economic benefits of water infrastructure investment. As Mayor Kevin Faulconer of San Diego said at the event, “There is no better time to invest.”Tags: economy, jobs, Water Works, wrrda
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Public Opinion Shows Americans Open to Bus Rapid Transit
November 12th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Our friends at HNTB recently conducted their latest America THINKS survey, which polled a random nationwide sample of 1,127 Americans. The conclusion: Americans are open to new approaches to public transportation, such as bus rapid transit. But what is ‘bus rapid transit’? Simply, it is a new way of thinking about community bus service. According to HNTB, “Bus rapid transit is a lower-cost, more easily implemented alternative to a rail-based commuter transit system, yet still includes many popular features of rail-based public transportation, such as routes that are clearly laid out and run on a frequent and reliable schedule. BRT systems also often include low-emissions vehicles, electronic and/or automatic payment methods, and real-time arrival and departure updates.” In the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, Transit earned a “D.” The Report Card found that 45% of American households lack any access to transit, and millions more have inadequate service levels. However, Americans who do have access have increased their ridership 9.1% in the past decade. Clearly, as demand for transit service increases, the question becomes how can cities, states, and communities meet this new challenge. HNTB’s study is encouraging in that it shows more and more Americans are seeing the connection between infrastructure investment and economic growth. Hopefully this trend will continue and we can all work together to raise our infrastructure grades.Tags: infrastructure, jobs, report card, transportation
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EPA Reports on the Importance of Water to the U.S. Economy
November 7th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency released a new report titled “The Importance of Water to the U.S. Economy.” The report concludes that, as a nation, we do not currently reflect water’s true worth in the economy. A great example is the fact that communities across the country are low-balling the cost of clean, safe tap water. Simply, the rates you and I pay for water are too low. Of course, no one likes hearing that, but if we want the water to keep flowing, we are going to have to price water as the critical resource that it is. As with any utility, the concern is that when it is undervalued, “business-as-usual” will eventually be unsustainable. In the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, ASCE gave both Drinking Water and Wastewater a “D” grade. These two grades were largely due to the fact that America’s pipes and sewers are sometimes nearly a century old. As one can see, this aging means that the need is growing while the utility itself does not bring in enough money to finance its own operation. This topic is not new to ASCE. In our series of economic reports, titled Failure to Act, we found that if America continues down our current path, with no new investments in water infrastructure, we will lose $416 billion in GDP by 2020 due to increased costs and loss of worker productivity. Households and business would bear the burden, losing $59 billion and $147 billion respectively over that time span. By 2020, the average family budget would be squeezed by $900 as water rates rise and personal income falls. The lesson of Failure to Act is the same as we see in the EPA report: the cost of inaction is unacceptable. EPA Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner says the main findings of their report are: 1) Water is absolutely fundamental to the U.S. economy 2) Water value and competition will rise, and 3) Decision-makers in the private and public sectors need more information. The first two conclusions are well taken, and worth repeating; however, the final conclusion does not go far enough. There is ample information—from ASCE, from the EPA, and from other groups—that explains why water is undervalued. What the public and private sector needs is awareness. Replacing the nation’s antiquated pipes will require significant local investment, including higher water rates. Just as with fixing a leaky roof in your home, the longer we wait, the more it will cost. The EPA’s report should serve as yet another call to action for all levels of government to invest in our water infrastructure now.Tags: economic study, infrastructure, jobs, report card, water
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