America¡¯s water infrastructure needs help: Here are 3 ways to strengthen it
April 01, 2025
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The ASCE Report Card revealed challenges for America¡¯s water infrastructure. The good news? Communities are already working to make improvements.
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The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released its . And, as we¡¯ve seen in years past, America¡¯s infrastructure could use some improvement. Zooming in, we know there are some big concerns in water infrastructure.
But the outlook is bright. For the first time this year, ASCE reports that collectively, grades are starting to improve. Thanks to federal investment and policy changes in recent years, we¡¯re seeing notable efforts to improve our nation¡¯s infrastructure across the board¡ªincluding water.?
Our water team supports cities and utilities around the US on some of the biggest concerns in water infrastructure. This includes drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater. We care deeply about our communities, and we want to see water infrastructure improve, too.?
We still face headwinds from climate change, long-term investment needs, and government policies. That¡¯s why we¡¯ll keep working side-by-side with communities to solve some of the industry's most complex and urgent challenges.?
Addressing drinking water issues??
According to the report card, the nation¡¯s drinking water earned a grade of a C-. There are a few main worries in water infrastructure that the report points out for drinking water. We¡¯ve addressed these very issues with our clients.
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Reservoirs like Hetch Hetchy in California are an important part of drinking water infrastructure in the US.
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First, the water infrastructure in some cities and towns is outdated. In some cases, it fails to deliver high-quality¡ªor even safe¡ªdrinking water to residents. This includes lead service lines, which can contaminate drinking water when transporting it from the main to the tap inside residences and businesses.
This is something we¡¯ve seen firsthand in Jackson, Mississippi. Our team there is leading design improvements to the city¡¯s aging water distribution system. We have been on the ground in Jackson since early 2023, restoring reliable service. We¡¯ve repaired pipes, digitized old records to create a functional GIS map, and identified lead service lines for replacement. There¡¯s still work to do. But thanks to a dedicated team of partners, the water system improvements being made will serve the city with safe, reliable drinking water for years to come.?
Another challenge for drinking water? PFAS. And we know that water infrastructure will continue to deal with PFAS for years to come. Although they didn¡¯t create the problem, public water systems around the country are working hard to figure out how to reduce PFAS in drinking water.?
We¡¯re researching a variety of treatment technologies to help clients identify the best option for them. With treatment plans in place, our goal is to help cities like Cottage Grove, Minnesota, to develop long-term solutions to comply with regulations and health-based guidelines and address PFAS in drinking water.
One of the biggest obstacles when it comes to drinking water projects? Funding, which we know can be daunting. We are familiar with the ins and outs of local, state, and federal funding. It brings us great pride to help guide clients through this process.?
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In Jackson, Mississippi, a project is removing lead service lines.
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Forward-thinking wastewater treatment projects??
Earning a grade of D+, America¡¯s wastewater infrastructure could use some work.?
According to the report card, centralized wastewater treatment systems are growing in number. Some are adding advanced water treatment technology to address environmental regulations and contaminants. This is a good thing, but we need to see more of it. Another issue we see here is wastewater collection systems. They are aging¡ªand frequently failing.?
Only a small percentage of communities are keeping up with aging infrastructure and the need for advanced technology. Additionally, populations are surging in some areas, and wastewater treatment plants need to expand to keep up. This is the case in Apache Junction, Arizona. Our team is excited to lead the design for a water reclamation facility expansion there. Once complete, the Apache Junction Sewer District will support an additional 3.5 million gallons per day of capacity.?
Communities need to ask and answer a few questions when taking on a wastewater treatment plant expansion. Is the current facility too small? How fast is the population growing, and is that growth predictable? The key here is to align water infrastructure design with the needs of a community to develop lasting assets and facilities.?
Whether it¡¯s expanding treatment capacity or managing biosolids, the scale of these projects is usually significant. That¡¯s one reason it takes so much time to make changes to infrastructure.?
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CHP and gas handling system at the Piscataway Bioenergy Facility in Maryland.
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For example, in Maryland, recently we helped deliver the Piscataway Bioenergy Facility. It converts biosolids into renewable energy¡ªand even helps power the plant itself. In Washington, DC, we¡¯re helping DC Water manage its process facilities program delivery. Our task? To help upgrade the wastewater treatment facilities and advise on the integration of next-generation treatment technologies.?
Projects like this reflect the kind of forward-thinking, sustainable design we believe should guide the future of wastewater infrastructure.
Like most water infrastructure, wastewater facilities need strong asset management programs and a reliable stream of funding. Expansions also need to be built to be resilient. That makes them ready not only for today¡¯s challenges but for tomorrow¡¯s, too.?
Planning for more intense storms?
The concerns in water infrastructure continue with stormwater. Stormwater infrastructure in the US received a D¡ªand we know it¡¯s essential to address this.?
The changing climate is making major storms and unexpected rainfall more common. This leads to urban flooding and combined sewer overflows (CSO) in many communities. Ultimately, this affects local water quality and the health of public waterways and spaces.?
Across the US, our teams support cities and municipalities with the goal of developing integrated wet weather management solutions. In the end, we can address both water quality and flooding issues.
" }We care deeply about our communities, and we want to see water infrastructure improve, too.
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For example, in the city of Lynchburg, Virginia, we designed the Blackwater CSO Tunnel project¡ªand we¡¯re now serving as construction manager. The goal of this $104 million project is to improve water quality and enhance the resilience of the collection system during wet weather. It will also renew aging infrastructure to support future growth.
Another way to address the challenges of stormwater? Green stormwater infrastructure. Rather than rely on underground pipes, tunnels, and reservoirs, green stormwater infrastructure takes a different approach. It uses natural elements, vegetation, and soil to help control surface-level stormwater. And it helps build more resilient communities.
Stormwater is unpredictable, and we¡¯re always looking ahead. One way our team is doing that is with a predictive asset management approach to minimize catastrophic failures and reduce risks. How? We use the latest technologies to inspect and assess the condition of critical stormwater infrastructure.
A better future for water?
We know firsthand just how much concerns in water infrastructure weigh on America¡¯s cities and towns. We live in these communities, too. Their problems are our problems. Although it takes time to improve and upgrade our systems, we¡¯re encouraged when we see so many communities doing their part.?
We¡¯ll keep doing our part, too. We will keep
- Designing improvements for safe, reliable drinking water
- Envisioning forward-thinking wastewater treatment plant expansions
- Helping communities handle more intense wet weather?
In time, we hope to see an America with resilient, long-lasting water infrastructure¡ªfrom the Alaskan mountains to the shores of Hawaii and from California to Maine. And in every town and city in between.
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