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News & Media
USA Today Highlights New Orleans Water System as Example of Failing U.S. Infrastructure
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The Times-Picayune By Michelle Krupa, The Times-Picayune A story today in USA Today features New Orleans' deteriorating drinking water system -- and last month's 41-hour boil-water advisory across the east bank -- as an example of the problems plaguing public infrastructure systems nationwide. According to the piece: "More than 1,000 aging water and sewer systems around the country need urgent upgrades, says Ken Kirk, executive director of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. Cities such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Kansas City, New York and Philadelphia have antiquated systems that are in dire need of renovation. Across the country, there is a $500 billion to $1 trillion need to upgrade systems, Kirk says." Citing the catastrophic levee breaches following Hurricane Katrina, the recent failure of the Clerk of Civil Court's computer system and last month's Sewerage & Water Board equipment meltdown that led to the boil-water advisory, Mayor Mitch Landrieu has taken to referring to New Orleans as "the canary in the coal mine for the nation's infrastructure." Landrieu also has touted his involvement with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a new initiative called Building America's Future, which advocates for increasing the nation's infrastructure investments and reforming infrastructure policy. The S&WB this week laid out in stark relief the financial challenges it faces in trying to keep up with routine maintenance of the city's water, sewer and drainage systems. Landrieu has asked business leaders to review the agency's books with an eye toward possible rate and millage increases to finance capital improvements. |
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