In March, U.S. EPA and state primacy agencies sent utilities the 2011 Drinking Water Needs Survey and Assessment, a quadrennial look at water systems’ 20-year infrastructure needs. The results are reported to Congress, and AMWA encourages members to complete the survey by the April 18 deadline to ensure that states receive their fair share of federal drinking water infrastructure assistance. The results of the survey will be used to allocate Drinking Water State Revolving Funds among the states for fiscal years 2014 through 2017.
AMWA worked with EPA to encourage metropolitan water systems to complete the 2007 Needs Survey, and the result was 100 percent participation among water systems that serve more than 100,000 people. Those responses, which demonstrated that 35 percent of the nation’s total 20-year drinking water infrastructure need is represented by metropolitan utilities, were invaluable to AMWA’s representation of the interests of large water systems on Capitol Hill.
To facilitate completion of this year’s survey, state primacy agencies are supplying utilities the information they submitted for the 2007 survey. Utilities need only update that information and report any new infrastructure needs.
Instructions and background information for the Needs Survey are online and an Assessment Helpline is available at 877-357-9030.