While disaster-response teams raced against time in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, the time bomb of the outbreak of disease continued to tick. Setting the stage for this secondary crisis was Haiti’s lack of a water and sewer infrastructure.
Despite the obvious need, it had been difficult for Haiti’s government to complete infrastructure projects because residents resisted having their homes torn down or moved. When the massive quake struck, it ruptured the few existing water lines.
In many parts of Haiti there were open ditches of sewage, and people were having trouble getting fresh water. Further, rainfall caused these open sewage ditches to overflow into the streets. In short, it was the perfect formula for the spread of waterborne disease.
Vital assets
The scale of the disaster caused by the Haiti earthquake is beyond imagination. As I write this, more than 150,000 people have been buried. By the time you read this, that number will be much higher.
The earthquake showed the world how important underground infrastructure is to human life. Even before the quake, Haiti did not have an effective public sewer system. In fact, for many Haitians, even getting access to clean water was a challenge.
I say it often but it’s worth repeating: Our public sewers are our nation’s most vital public assets. Most Americans can’t imagine their toilet not flushing regularly, let alone not having one. But as those in the industry know, our country’s sewer pipes, many built more than a century ago, are deteriorating faster than they can be fixed. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) raised the alarm in a recent report card, which assigned a grade of D+ to America’s wastewater infrastructure.
In most cities, wastewater goes to treatment plants. Systems in hundreds of older cities, however, combine rainwater runoff with sewage, which means already overwhelmed sewers have to handle runoff from storms, as well.
Ongoing development worsens the problem. As cities grow rapidly, many neglect infrastructure projects and pave over green spaces that once absorbed rainwater. After moderate or heavy rains, sewer systems become overloaded, increasing the risk of flooding and contributing to backups that send raw sewage into homes, streets, rivers, and waterways. ASCE estimates that aging systems discharge six billion gallons of untreated wastewater into surface waters each day.
Tough challenge
No easy solution exists, but our role is critical, not simply for Americans today but for future generations. While we don’t face infrastructure problems as massive as in Haiti, we certainly face a situation that demands attention and that will require extensive spending, thoughtful planning, and careful budgeting.
The EPA estimates that the nation must invest $390 billion over the next 20 years to update or replace existing systems or build new ones to meet increasing demand. The numbers sound overwhelming, but all of us in the trenchless technology industry should take pride in knowing we are part of the solution.
For many, our industry is out of sight and out of mind, but at NASSCO we know it’s essential to bring important issues like these to the forefront. Increased awareness of quality and safety issues among government and the general public will elevate the importance of properly rehabilitated pipelines and, in the end, help us all.
The contractors, suppliers, engineers, public agencies, and others aligned to the trenchless technology field will continue to play a pivotal role in making a difference in the future and in the rehabilitation of America’s underground infrastructure.
Irvin Gemora is executive director of NASSCO. He can be reached at director@nassco.org. The NASSCO headquarters is at 11521 Cronridge Dr., Suite J, Owings Mills, MD 21117.
