President’s Message

Water Main Breaks Becoming a “Normal” Sign of Summer

I hope all of our UCANE members have remained busy during this very hot and unusual summer. I also hope our members have found time to spend with their families and enjoy some of the things that make Summer in New England so special: a trip to the Cape, a day at the beach, a round of golf, a hike in the Berkshires, or any activity that helps to provide some normalcy during these difficult times. However, one Summer issue that continues to be an ongoing “normal” occurrence is the large number of water main breaks due to our aging underground infrastructure.

The UCANE staff tracks these breaks, and The economic impact of COVID-19 is not in the past few weeks, we have seen maonly being felt now, but will continue to be felt jor breaks in Springfield, Arlington, South in the months and years ahead. There is little Boston, Holyoke, Hamilton, Holliston, Tewksbury, doubt that our elected officials have some exand Malden. These breaks cause major disruptremely difficult decisions to make with the retions and pose a significantpublichealth threat. duction in revenue that will undoubtedly occur.

Every day, 850 water main breaks occur in However, it is imperative that our federal, state, North America at a total annual repair cost of and local officials prioritize ourwaterinfrastrucover $3 billion. This cost estimate doesn’t inture and not delay these much-needed projects. clude emergency equipment, lost water, traffic Not only are they imperative for public health disruptions, and lost work time. The cause for and safety, but they are also crucial to economthe overwhelming majority of these breaks is ic recovery. Public works projects not only prothat the pipes were old. The Springfield break, vide good-paying jobs for construction workers, which resulted in 2.1 million gallons of untreated they also provide significant economic growth wastewater going into the Connecticut River, opportunities, as our local businesses can only was caused by the failure of a 36-inch main that recover and grow if they have access to reliable dates back to 1907. and safe water and wastewater systems.

Most cities and towns are aware that their UCANE will continue to strongly adwater infrastructure is out of date, but they simvocate for stimulus funds and regulatory ply lack the resources to repair or replace their relief as we continue to navigate through underground pipes. The water infrastructure funding gap is currently at an estimated $17 billion–$20 billion over the next 20 years, and the this crisis. We need an ongoing and dedicated investment in our drinking water, recent pandemic has the potential to delay work wastewater, and underground utility sysand significantlyincrease this gap. tems NOW when they are needed most. n