From Foresight, Vol. 10, No.1
published 2003
Let me start by stating that I enjoy and support the work of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center. I do have to take slight exception to the tone and content of one of your most recent articles in the latest issue of Foresight in the Scanning Kentucky section (Vol. 9 No. 4 2003). The article titled, "Water Infrastructure May Require $1 Trillion," takes a bit of a "gloom and doom" approach to the long-term infrastructure needs of the nation’s drinking water industry.
First, 237,600 water main breaks per year may sound like a large number, but if you divide that number by the number of public water systems in the US (165,471 in 2001, according to EPA) it comes to less than two per system per year. Even if you divide this number by the number of public water systems classified as Community Water Systems (CWS) by EPA, the average number of main breaks only increases to roughly 4.4 breaks per system per year. The use of this number, by itself, doesn’t seem to indicate that a problem exists. Community water systems are the utilities from which most people get their drinking water. In Kentucky, these are the nearly 220 municipalities, 123 water districts, 22 water associations, and a handful of privately-owned utilities that currently serve approximately 87 percent of the population.
In fact, the number cited by EPA seems to me to be very low. Water main breaks are common occurrences for water utilities. They do occur more frequently on older lines, but factors such as quality of pipe material, original installation practices, and weather are all probably more important. Most of the community water systems mentioned above employ trained professional operators who react quickly to instances where mains break to repair them in a timely manner according to established standards that ensure that any potential contamination is isolated and treated before placing the main back into service.
Secondly, you cite the recent lowering of the standard for arsenic by EPA. The standard was actually lowered from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion, not ppm (parts per million). While some scientists have argued for even lower standards, there have been no scientific studies that I am aware of showing any correlation or connection between arsenic in drinking water and adverse health effects in the United States. More importantly to Kentuckians, our Kentucky Division of Water has determined that few, if any, water systems in Kentucky will have problems meeting the new standard of 10 ppb.
I don’t want to downplay the importance of maintaining our drinking water infrastructure, or the expense associated with repairs and upgrades to an aging system. Many of our water treatment facilities are in need of expansion and improvement. The continued lowering of federal drinking water standards is also forcing systems to look at more advanced (and expensive) treatment technologies to stay ahead of the standards. Also, Kentucky’s population growth and continuing expansion into unserved areas add to our need for expensive expansions and improvements.
So, where does Kentucky stand in regards to providing safe drinking water to its citizenry? Public drinking water in the United States is the highest quality, it is the most affordable, and is more widely available than in any country in the world. According to the EPA, approximately 73 percent of Americans are connected to community water systems. While many might assume that Kentucky would fail to meet the US average, as we often do in national rankings, this is certainly not the case. As stated earlier, approximately 87 percent of Kentuckians are served by community water systems. Kentucky ranks among the top two or three states nationwide in this category!
Kentucky still has counties where a large percentage of the population is not served by public drinking water, primarily in eastern Kentucky and in areas where groundwater supplies are plentiful. However, these are generally exceptions to the rule. In many counties, water systems have progressed to the point where public drinking water is available to nearly all residents, urban or rural. According to my research, more than 85 of Kentucky’s 120 counties exceed the national average of 73 percent served by CWSs.
Why has Kentucky fared so well in this important measure of public health? And, why have we been able to avoid situations like the one mentioned in Walkerton, Ontario? For many years, our state regulatory agency has been requiring direct filtration for surface water plants and groundwater plants that are under the influence of surface water. In Walkerton, managers and operators were found to be negligent in ensuring proper levels of disinfection after a flood event washed animal feces into the system’s wells. This is a prime example of groundwater being under the influence of surface water.
In Kentucky, we have been blessed with political leaders who have been able to secure much-needed funding for water and wastewater utility expansions through the years. We also have one of the most effective USDA Rural Development state offices in the United States. These are the folks (formerly called the Farmers Home Administration) who have contributed so much to the expansion of rural water systems since the 1960s. Finally, we have many excellent water systems, large and small, that have acquired the necessary training and experience to successfully manage and operate efficient public utilities.
* Andy Lange is the Assistant Director of the Kentucky Rural Water Association (KRWA) and has been employed at KRWA since 1989. Andy is a native of Dallas, Texas, and has lived in Bowling Green since 1962. He can be reached at a.lange@krwa.org or 270.843.2291. Return to text.