๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐โ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐.
A new report from the American Water Works Association, ๐๐ฆ๐บ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ณ๐ข, finds that the challenge is no longer just aging pipes.
Utilities across the U.S. are facing a wave of compounding costsโfrom regulation to climate to more complex water suppliesโdriving a massive funding gap and raising serious questions about affordability for millions of households in the decades ahead.
๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ:
1๏ธโฃ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ: Utilities are no longer just replacing infrastructureโtheyโre managing rising costs from PFAS treatment, lead pipe removal, climate resilience, and system complexity. This is a long-term structural shift.
2๏ธโฃ ๐ $2.1โ$2.4 ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐: Total drinking water infrastructure investment required by 2050 is projected to reach up to $2.4 trillionโfar beyond previous estimates focused only on pipes.
3๏ธโฃ ๐ $56 ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฉ: Utilities are investing about $33 billion per year, but need roughly $90 billion annually to keep upโleaving a massive and persistent shortfall.
4๏ธโฃ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐: The average household water bill could rise from about $429 today to nearly $1,000 per year by 2050 if costs are recovered through rates.
5๏ธโฃ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ: More than 30 million households could face high water cost burdens, with over 50 million experiencing financial stressโhighlighting the growing challenge of keeping water accessible.
Read the report: https://lnkd.in/eFAZnFsC
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