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Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates cities and towns
across the nation will need to spend more than $331 billion during
the next 20 years to keep sewage treatment facilities adequate.

An agency report released Monday, called "The Clean Water and
Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis," also estimates cities
and towns will have only a portion of the money available for the
work if spending for improvements isn't increased.

The report prompted the national Association of Metropolitan
Sewerage Agencies to call Monday for new federal money to help
communities meet their improvement needs.

Ken Kirk, executive director of the sewerage association, said
the report demonstrates there is a "looming crisis."

Kirk said the country's pipes and systems are aging and in
desperate need of upgrade and repair.

"Municipalities now shoulder 90 percent of these infrastructure
costs but, as (this report) demonstrates, they cannot continue to
foot this massive infrastructure bill alone, especially as local
budgets continue to shrink and municipalities face soaring security
costs."

Oklahomans say they would welcome the extra help, adding the
state is already ahead of many others in meeting such needs.

"Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't say no to the federal money,"
said Jon Craig, director of the Oklahoma Environmental Quality
Department's water quality division.

"Even with everything we are doing, there are still many of our
communities that need to make improvements and need the financial
help to do it."

Major Oklahoma cities such as Oklahoma City aggressively
maintain their systems.

But many - especially smaller towns - need help.

Communities seek aid from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and
its low-interest loan and grant programs for water projects.

Brian Vance, the board's public information officer, said the
agency has made $9.83 million in grants to fund 116 requests for
sewage improvement projects during the past 16 years.

The board also has made loans during the past 14 years from a
revolving fund for $449.5 million of work connected to 132
wastewater projects.

"These projects are very often quite expensive and can run more
than what a community might budget for their water or sewer needs
in a dozen years," Vance said.

Cushing Assistant City Manager Steve Spears said his community
is building a $6.8 million sewage treatment plant with the help of
a low-interest loan of $6.5 million from the board.

"All small communities are hoping for added federal or state
funds to address these problems," Spears said. "We keep getting
these unfunded mandates, and we need help to meet them."

Cushing's plant was built in the 1950s.