Water is an essential element in life. It touches every aspect of our lives from public health, to safety,. But at the foundation of our economy, we put water to work in a million different ways, but do we even know at all they know? But it’s true value. We are so used to turning on the faucet and having access to safe water 24 hours a day, seven days a week that rarely do we stop and think about the complex systems and technologies needed to treat and deliver this vital resource. Throughout history, people have always relied on water for survival. It dictated where they lived, where they traveled, and whether or not they survived.
Today we can see remnants of ancient water networks such as the Roman aqueducts. Huge structures were formed to channel water throughout. The empire fasts forward to the Year 1652 and America built its first distribution system. Farmers, with Wells, started selling water to others, and Boston residents were the first to enjoy a centralized water system, something critical to protecting communities from the ever-present threat of fire, but real progress came just before the Civil War, when iron pipes replaced wooden ones until the early 1800s,,, the use of wooden pipes made from bored-out logs was common practice and some are still in place today by 1890 there were more than600 water suppliers in the US. but public health problems such as cholera smallpox and typhoid plagued cities in1908 a major breakthrough occurred in Jersey City New Jersey when a disinfectant in the form of chlorine was added to the water within a few years chlorine was being used nationwide and virtually eliminated the spread of water-borne diseases making it the single most significant public health development of the 20th century.
Today, water suppliers use a variety of treatment processes to remove contaminants. Raw water travels from its source to the treatment plant and later into a hundred thousand miles of water pipes before reaching your home or business. It infects the US water infrastructure is so large that it spans 30 times the size of our interstate highway system. But with that comes a unique set of challenges. Water is not easily transported. It is heavy and cannot be compressed. One gallon alone weighs more than eight pounds and an enormous amount of electricity is required to help it move within the distribution system, making its transportation laws, such as the Clean Water Act and Safe.
Drinking-Water Act set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency established quality standards to help protect public health safety and the environment. These quality standards are among the toughest in the world and continue to evolve, so, water utility companies are regularly investing in sophisticated and expensive treatment technologies, such as UV membrane and reverse osmosis, to keep us safe and ensure an adequate supply of drinking water. As a result, today, our drinking water is safer than it was 20 years ago. Another challenge is that the systems and networks used to bring water to us do not last forever all infrastructure ages and the same is true of the water unseen pipes and transport systems. Most of our water infrastructure is from the first half of the 20th century and it is estimated that within the next thirty years it will reach the end of its useful lifespan to protect quality public health and the reliability of our water services. These aging and failing pipes will need to be replaced. Current estimates indicate that it will cost at least one trillion dollars over the next 25 years. Water is the only utility that is ingested and the cleaning and delivery of water are three times more capital-intensive to provide than any other utility, yet historically most consumers pay less for it than gas or electricity. A typical American household uses 260 gallons of water every day.
Our nation's water footprint is among the largest of any country. Currently, most Americans pay less than $3.75 for everyone, a thousand gallons of safe water delivered is a relative bargain compared to the rest of the world, because the cost of installing and maintaining water infrastructure is so high. This usually discourages companies from creating duplicate systems. This means, that in most areas, water service utilities operate as a monopoly. For over200 years, privately owned and operated water utilities have been providing services to American communities. In fact, 73 million Americans currently receive their water from a private water company. Water systems owned and operated by private water companies deliver 4.6billion gallons of water to their customers every day, and while it might be easy to think they're simply selling a commodity, the truth is they are providing important services and the infrastructure required for the treatment and delivery of safe and affordable water.
Private water utilities are regulated at the state level. We have utility commissions or PUCs that work with private water utilities to determine rates in this process. PUCs look at how much is being spent on creating and operating water systems, as well as the quality and reliability of service. They then establish rates with input from the public. But both the interests of the water customers and the private water utilities. This transparency ensures that both consumer and utilities' needs are met. Safe and reliable water service is the lifeblood of our nation, essential to the survival of every individual, family, and business with millions of miles of pipe, thousands of water treatment plants, and distribution systems that stretch to every corner of our nation. The job of safeguarding water is one that we all must share. As our nation's population continues to grow and increasing pressure is placed on our resources, communities will need the experience of the private water industry more than ever to protect public health, promote environmental stewardship, and deliver sustainable solutions with expertise in the development and implementation of technology along the side he replacement of aging infrastructure will have a profound impact on people businesses and the environment because wherever there is water there is a well of opportunity.
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