Why Your Water Bill Must Go Up
The problem is most troubling in cities, where dense and increasing populations put greater demand on already-strained systems that municipal governments generally lack the funds to upgrade. Without robust, urgent action, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly half the nation's pipes will fall into the “poor, very poor or elapsed” categories by 2020, risking widespread failures and a considerable threat to public health.
Finally, a report released last month by the advocacy group Green For All estimates that a five-year $188 billion federal investment in green infrastructure - which includes porous sidewalks, green rooftops, rainwater harvesting, cleaning area waterways and adding wetlands -- would generate $265 in economic activity and create nearly 1.9 million jobs.
