Bryan Municipal Utilities and the American Water Works Association kicked off National Drinking Water Week today by highlighting the theme “Your water – to know it is to love it.” Water professionals across North America are urging consumers to consider the value of their water service and the importance of investing in water infrastructure.
“We all agree that water is an essential element in our daily lives, but for most of us, water service is a convenience that we take for granted,” said Norm Echler, Bryan water superintendent. “Those buried pipes that deliver the water vital to our quality of life and economic growth are among our most valuable community assets. We need to assure they are in good working order for the next generation.”
Much of Bryan’s drinking water infrastructure was constructed by previous generations. In fact, three miles of water mains installed prior to 1920 are still in use. Since the 1980s, the Bryan Water Department has been methodically replacing sections of the aging water system.
According to a recent study by American Water Works Association titled “Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge,” the cost of repairing and expanding U.S. drinking water infrastructure will top $1 trillion in the next 25 years. That figure will rise to $1.7 trillion by 2050.
Addressing these issues is costly but not insurmountable. According to Echler, the Bryan Water Department has installed more than 30,000 feet of new water main in the last 10 years. “Proactively investing in our tap water systems is a smart, safe, common sense investment that will pay off for generations to come,” he said.
For more than 120 years, the Bryan Water department has provided safe, dependable drinking water to Bryan homes and businesses. National Drinking Water Week is a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to get to know and love their water. To learn more about Bryan’s drinking water, Click Here.