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In communities in Massachusetts and across the country,drinking water and sewerage systems are straining underthe weight of decades of federal government underinvest-ment. In recent years, the State Revolving Funds werefinanced at some of the lowest levels in history. For fiscal year 2008, Massachusetts received only $45 million, amere 1.6 percent of the $2.8 billion that the state’s waterand sewer systems need.
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As the troubles with our water infrastructure mount, thecountry’s economy slides deeper into recession. Mas-sachusetts’s January 2009 unemployment rate reached7.4 percent, or 252,400 people
,
up from 4.6 percent a year earlier. One in 14 people in the labor force are now unemployed.
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Investing now in water and sewer systems to generate sol-id economic growth can lead the state out of the recession.
Every federal dollar invested in infrastructure yields a$1.59 return to our states
.
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The National Utility Contrac-tors Association estimates that for every $1 billion spenton water infrastructure, nearly 27,000 jobs are created.
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The economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress inFebruary 2009 provides more money to water infrastruc-ture than the country has seen in recent years, but thisone-time allotment cannot cure the problems plaguingmany communities. In fact, the bill provides water andsewer systems with less than one-third of what the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency estimates we should spendeach year just to maintain them.
Massachusetts’s Water Infrastructure FundingGap:
Massachusetts’s water needs outpace its cur-rent ability to fund projects by a large margin.For the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) pro-gram, the state’s most recent Intended Use Plan lists 48projects at a total cost of at least $675 million.
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In 2008,the state received
only $21.8 million
in federal funding
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–enough to finance 3.2 percent of its needs.For the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, which goes toward wastewater infrastructure, the state’smost recent Intended Use Plan lists 97 projects at a totalcost of $2.1 billion.
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In 2008, the state received $23.1 mil-lion in federal funding
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– enough to finance 1.1 percent of its needs.Federal contributions to Massachusetts’s wastewaterfunding efforts have decreased by 66.8 percent since theClean Water SRF was fully implemented in fiscal 1991and 79.0 percent when adjusted for inflation.
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O
ur nation’s water infrastructure and economy are bound together. Aidingthe former will help the latter. Unfortunately, these days, both are treadingtroubled waters.
Why Massachusetts Needs FederalFunding for Water Infrastructure
WATER
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