WaterTechOnline.com

Monday, June 07, 2010

WASHINGTON — Last week, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) report to Congress, which further emphasizes the growing need for water infrastructure funding currently facing the nation, according to a press release.

The CWNS report is available approximately every four years and provides a complete analysis of wastewater and stormwater treatment and collection needs for the next 20 years, the release stated.

The CWNS report included the following investment needs: Publicly owned wastewater pipes and treatment facilities ($192.2 billion); combined sewer overflow (CSO) correction ($63.6 billion); and stormwater management ($42.3 billion).

This funding shortfall represents a 17 percent increase since the 2004 CWNS report, according to the release.

As exemplified by the 2008 CWNS report, the clean water community is increasingly facing financial capability and affordability challenges.

“This needs report makes it clear that the federal government must become a long-term partner in developing a sustainable funding mechanism to address the growing infrastructure funding gap,” said Ken Kirk, the executive director of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.