To help reduce the burden on consumers, many water utilities have made great strides in efficiencies, with some utilities achieving a 20 percent savings in operations and maintenance. Water utilities will continue to reduce costs, seek cost-effective financing and employ innovative management strategies. Regardless, there will be significantly increased costs for needed infrastructure investment. AWWA does not expect that federal funds will be available for 100 percent of the increase in infrastructure needs facing the nation's water utilities. However, AWWA does believe that due to concurrent needs for investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, replacement of treatment plants, new drinking water standards, and demographics, many utilities will be very hard pressed to meet their capital needs without some form of federal assistance.
Customers are likely to be very hard pressed in many areas of the country.
Compliance and infrastructure needs under the SDWA and CWA can no longer be approached as separate issues. Solutions need to be developed in the context of the total drinking water and wastewater compliance and infrastructure needs. AWWA pledges to work with Congress to develop a responsible and fair solution to the Nation s growing drinking water infrastructure challenge. As a start, AWWA will provide a copy of the forthcoming AWWA report to members of the subcommittee to assist the subcommittee deliberations on this issue. We thank you for your consideration of our views.