EPA report: $197M needed to upgrade NMI water system

The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands would need at least $197.8 million within the next 20 years to fix and upgrade its water systems, according to a new report issued yesterday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water.

According to the EPA’s Third Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (Third Report) to Congress, the nation’s water utilities will need to make an estimated $276.8 billion in investments over the next 20 years to ensure continued safe drinking water across the nation and its island territories, including the Commonwealth.

The CNMI, according to the report, would need $69.8 million for transmission and distribution, $78.1 million for water treatment, $35.9 million for storage, $9.2 million for water sourcing, and $4.8 million for other related expenses for the water projects.

Pacific Island territories such as Guam would need $279 million, U.S. Virgin Islands would need $180.4 million, and American Samoa would only need $32.3 million, said the report.

Other states that were surveyed and showed the need for a large budget for water system projects were Texas with $28.1 billion; California, $27.8 billion; and Florida, $15 billion.

Transmission and distribution includes replacement or rehabilitation of transmission or distribution lines that carry drinking from the source to the treatment plant or from the treatment plant to consumer. Treatment would include conditioning water or removing microbiological and chemical contaminants, said the report. “Filtration of surface water sources, pH adjustment, softening, and disinfection are examples of treatment.”

The U.S. EPA conducted its third assessment of the nation’s public water system infrastructure needs report in 2003. The report documents the continued need to install, upgrade, and replace the infrastructure on which the public relies on for safe drinking water.

The assessment report stated that the national total comprises the infrastructure investment needs of the nation’s approximately 53,000 community water systems and 21,400 not-for-profit non-community water systems found in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Pacific island territories, and the District of Columbia.

American Indian and Alaska native village water systems are also included in the total need based on the report. Among the needs reported are projects to protect public health, to preserve the physical integrity of water systems, to convey treated water to homes and commercial and industrial establishments, and to ensure continued compliance with specific Safe Drinking Water Act regulations.

The report said the results from survey and assessment are used to develop a formula to distribute Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grants.

It also said that since the program began in 1997, EPA has made available nearly $8 billion in funding to states for infrastructure projects to help utilities provide safe drinking water and the states supplement their EPA grants by matching funds and with bonds, repayments and interest earnings.

This large national need reflects the challenges confronting water utilities as they deal with aging infrastructures that were constructed 50 to 100 years ago in many cases, said the media release.

Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for the Office of Water, said the water infrastructure is a lifeline for community health and prosperity.

“As our communities grow, so too must the commitment of the government and citizens to sustainable financing, innovative management and technology, and efficient use of water,” he said.

Water utilities pay for the infrastructure using revenues from rates charged to customers and may finance large projects using loans or bonds, said the report. EPA said the state and federal funding programs, such as its Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, are also available to help companies to address their water system infrastructure needs.

The Safe Drinking Water Act requires EPA to conduct the assessment every four years. The report to Congress, which reflects data collected in 2003, EPA said, provides documents to anticipate costs for repairs and replacement of transmission and distribution pipes, storage and treatment equipment, and projects that are necessary to deliver safe supplies of drinking water.