WATER

Renew America’s Water

Why Our Communities Need Federal Investment in Our Public
Water Systems to Provide Safe Water for Generations to Come
Fact Sheet • June 2010

O ur nation’s public water systems have provided reliable access to drinking water
and safe disposal of waste for more than one hundred years, yet a crisis looms.
When Congress passed the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act to
ensure that our waterways were protected and our drinking water safe, they provided
increased funding for community water systems to meet these more protective
standards. However, since the 1980s, the federal government has been cutting back
funding to communities for water infrastructure, with assistance falling to historic lows
under the Bush administration. At the same time, many of our nation’s water systems
that were built in the early 20th century are reaching the end of their lifespan. Without
dedicated federal funding, communities simply cannot afford to make the necessary
repairs to pipes and water systems that keep our waters clean and safe. This lack of
investment in communities’ water infrastructure poses a danger to the environment
and threatens the safety of our water for future generations.

The campaign to Renew America’s Water will create

a dedicated source of federal funding, which will im-
prove water quality, protect the environment, create
good jobs and ensure safe, reliable water for genera-
tions to come.

Reliable Access to Safe Water Is

Threatened
Our country’s drinking water and sewer infrastructure
needs dramatically outpace available funding. Ac-
cording to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)’s latest drinking water infrastructure needs
assessment, public water systems need an average
of $17.07 billion every year to keep our water safe.1
In 2010, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
Program (SRF), which provides federal funding to
maintain safe drinking water, received $1.4 billion in
federal funding — enough to finance only 8 percent
of what is needed.2

Publicly owned wastewater systems need an average

of $11.6 billion every year to protect water qual-
ity and public health.3 However, in 2010, the Clean
Water State Revolving Fund program, which goes
toward wastewater infrastructure, received only $2.1
billion in federal funding — enough to finance about
18 percent of what is needed.4
As a result, a gap of approximately $22 billion exists
each year between what is available to maintain our
water and sewer systems and what is needed. This
funding is necessary to maintain and improve our
nation’s water quality. We need to act now to Renew
America’s Water and close this funding gap.
Protecting Our Beaches, Rivers and
Lakes
Aging water infrastructure does more than threaten
our future access to reliable drinking water — it also
harms the environment in our communities. Aging
sewer pipes can burst and spill untreated waste into
our rivers, lakes and streams. This is a problem in
communities across the country. According to the
EPA’s 2004 National Water Quality Inventory assess-
ments, 44 percent of the river miles, 64 percent of the
lake waters, and 30 percent of the bays and estuaries
assessed were impaired and too polluted to support
their designated uses.5
Sewage overflows and stormwater runoff can also
cause waters to be unfit for recreational use. The na-
tion had more than 20,000 closures and advisories
at ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches in 2008. In
addition, analysis of beach monitoring data showed
that 7 percent of samples exceeded national health
standards. In other words, the contamination could
make beachgoers sick.6
Furthermore, leaks in our aging pipes lose water, even
in parts of the country facing water shortages. Ac-
cording to the U.S. Geological Survey, 1.7 trillion gal-
lons of water are lost from distribution to consumer
taps — equivalent to one out of every five gallons of
drinking water.7
Increased investment in water and sewer systems
will better protect our rivers, lakes, bays and beach-
es and reduce loss of treated drinking water through
leaky pipes.
Creating Quality Jobs and Investing in
Our Future
Renewing America’s Water will not just provide uni-
versal access to water and an improved environment
— it will also create hundreds of thousands of quality
jobs at a time when our communities need it most.
The national unemployment rate continues to hover
around 10 percent with over 15 million people out of
work and millions more underemployed.8
According to the National Utility Contractors Associa-
tion, for every $1 billion spent on water infrastructure,
nearly 27,000 jobs are created.9 Fully addressing the
nation’s annual water needs would generate 783,000

employment opportunities. That could put nearly
one out of every 20 unemployed people in the na-
tion back to work.10 Furthermore, every federal dollar
invested in infrastructure yields a $1.59 return to our
states.11 Water and sewer infrastructure jobs are typi-
cally filled locally, and investing now in water and
sewer systems can generate solid economic growth
and bring jobs into our communities.
Fixing Water Infrastructure in Schools
Schools across the country have outdated water pipes
and drinking fountains that have fallen into disre-
pair. As a result, children do not have access to safe
drinking water at school. Currently, there is no federal
funding devoted to updating and repairing drinking
water systems in schools. The campaign to Renew
America’s Water would provide grants to schools to
make the repairs needed to provide safe, affordable
tap water to students.
It’s Time to Renew America’s Water
To Renew America’s Water, we need a comprehen-
sive, long-term solution that fully funds our water
infrastructure needs. Funds must be dedicated for this
purpose and protected from yearly political decisions.
Legislation to Renew America’s Water must include
funds to assist rural and low-income communi-
ties, help large municipalities and provide grants to
improve water access in our public schools. Such an
investment would relieve overburdened state and mu-
nicipal governments, create hundreds of thousands
of good jobs, and ensure universal access to clean
drinking water for generations to come.
Take Action
Get involved in the campaign to Renew America’s
Water. Visit us at www.foodandwaterwatch.org/renew
to:
• Sign the petition and endorse the campaign
• Join our team of activists who blog or write
letters to the editor about the campaign
• Host a house party movie screening about our
water needs
• Find out more ways to get involved
Endnotes
1 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water.
“Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment Fourth
Report to Congress.” (EPA 816-R-05-001). February 2009 at i.
2 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water.
“Distribution of Drinking Water SRF Appropriation. 2010 DWSRF
Allotment based on 2007 SWINSA Results.” January 15, 1010.
3 “Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2004 Report to Congress.” January
2008 at ix; Sahr, Robert C. “Inflation conversion factors for years
1774 to estimated 2019.” Oregon State University, Political Science
Department. January 16, 2009. 
4 FY 2010 Clean Water State Revolving Fund Title VI Allotments. Janu-
ary 15, 2010.
5 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water.
“National Water Quality Inventory: Report to Congress 2004 Report-
ing Cycle.” (EPA 841-R-08-001). January 2009 at 1-2.
6 Dorfman, Mark and Kristen Sinclair Rosselot. National Resources
Defense Council “Testing the Waters 2009: A Guide to Water Qual-
ity at Vacation Beaches.” National Resources Defense Council. 2009
at v.
7 US Environmental Protection Agency. Water Research Adaptation
Program: Research Areas. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/
wswrd/wqm/wrap/research.html.
8 United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. [Press
Release]. “The employment situation: April 2010.” May 7 2010.
9 National Utility Contractors Association. [Press Release]. “New
CWC Report Demonstrates Immediate Economic Impact of Water/
Wastewater Infrastructure Investment?” January 28, 2009.
10 Food & Water Watch Calculation27,000 x 29 = 783,000.
783,0000/29,000,000,000 = .05 or 1/20.
11 Schwartz, Bernard L. and Schwenninger, Sherle R. “A Public Infra-
structure–-Led Economic Recovery Program.” December 4, 2008;
Zandi, Mark. Chief economist and co-founder, Moody’s Economy.
com. Testimony on Economic Stimulus For Small Business: A Look
Back and Assessing Need For Additional Relief. U.S. House Commit-
tee on Small Business. July 24, 2008.
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Copyright © June 2010 Food & Water Watch