March 5, 2001—EPA's latest drinking water infrastructure needs survey estimates that public water systems will need to invest $150.9 billion over a 20-year period to ensure that residents across the country continue to receive safe drinking water.
The investments in infrastructure identified in the survey are needed to support projects that protect public health, in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Large and medium-sized drinking water systems will need to make the largest investments in infrastructure; however, small systems face higher infrastructure costs on a per-household basis.
The results of the new survey support the findings of the 1995 survey, by documenting the ongoing need to install, upgrade, and replace the infrastructure on which the public relies for safe drinking water.
EPA will use these results to allocate money to states and tribes for infrastructure improvements through EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. For more information on the Needs Survey, visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/needs.html on the Internet.
