Out of sight out of mind—a familiar saying that can easily be applied to our water infrastructure. With many conveyance systems conveniently buried below our feet, it’s easy to avoid thinking about how clean, safe water gets to the tap—until, of course, something goes wrong….
Over the weekend, two million or so Boston residents found themselves on the receiving end of a failed pipeline “worst-case scenario”—one leak in one run-of-the-mill mainline that resulted in three days without drinkable tap water. By midday on Monday, authorities declared that the problem had been soled and the leak fixed—but Bostonians ended their workday with the prospect of boiled tap water for the next few days, and perhaps a greater appreciation of the extensive (and often delicate) water delivery systems that reliably supplies their metropolis with easy, clean water.
I wish I could say that the situation in Boston was unique, but every week I receive news alerts of similar breakdowns across the country. Most of the time the culprit is a small leak or a failed pump, but the result is often the same—a boil water notice and expensive emergency repairs. And the hits will keep on coming as our existing water delivery system continues to age and more and more pipes and pumps begin to fail.
So what do you think? Are we destined to play a constant game of “catch up” with our conveyance systems—sending out emergency repair crews each time a pipe springs a leak? Or is there a better way? Are the funds available for the creation of a systematic program and inspection and preemptive repair, or is there an easier (and cheaper) alternative? And how long can we turn a blind eye while our infrastructure crumbles around us?