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Aging Water Infrastructure and Impacts to Vulnerable Communities
Infrastructure has been in the news a lot over the last couple of years, and not for positive reasons. Across the U.S., roads, bridges, pipelines, and other public infrastructure are in need of replacement and repair. Water infrastructure — our pipes, mains, valves, pumps, treatment facilities, and reservoirs — is also aging. Many of our water systems were built in the 1900s (or earlier!) and are reaching the end of their designed life. Part of the problem is that the initial cost for a lot of water infrastructure was paid for in large part by the federal government in the form of direct investment, low-interest loans, or grants. Today, those…
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Ways to Mitigate Water Scarcity
More than two-thirds of our planet is covered with water, but only a tiny percentage (less than 0.0003%) of that is fresh and available for humans to use. This tiny amount of fresh water is under increasing pressure, not just because of the rising human population and demand, but also because humans have not always been good stewards of water. Water scarcity and water pollution are growing problems across the world. In fact, the UN estimates that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living under “absolute water scarcity” even though there is enough fresh water on the planet for everyone if we manage it sustainably. Below are some ways…
