WVU in the News: Drop in the bucket: U.S. infrastructure plan may fall short on water
Out of sight, out of mind: Problems with decades-old pipes and sewers across American cities and towns are largely hidden and tend to be neglected for years before exploding into public crisis.
Last month, the Clarksburg Water Board in West Virginia announced that children from three homes were diagnosed with high lead levels, prompting the municipal authority to immediately replace pipes and launch a testing program throughout the system.
The latest local water crisis surfaced as the Senate moves closer to passing the $1.2 trillion bipartisan package to address neglected maintenance on traditional infrastructure, as well as spending on clean energy and broadband internet.
"Infrastructure is an ongoing cost," said Michael McCawley, a professor at the West Virginia University School of Public Health. "It is essential to have a national program, because if you leave it to the local government they will not have the tax base to maintain the infrastructure."
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