It's well known that bringing the nation's clean-water infrastructure up to date is a multi-billion-dollar task. That taks is getting bigger, according to the U.S. EPA's 2008 Clean Watershed Needs Survey (CWNS), released recently and reported in the National Utility Contractors Association newsletter.

The report estimates that clean-water infrastructure needs $298 billion of investment nationwide over the next 20 years. That's 17 percent and $43 billion more than projected in the 2004 study. Mosst in need of funds, according to the EPA, are wastewater treatment and collection systems at $192 billion. Combined sewer overflow correction needs $64 billion.

The CWNS is a comprehensive assessment of the capital needs to meet the water quality goals set in the Clean Water Act. Every four years, the states and EPA collect information about publicly owned wastewater collection and treatment facilities, stormwater and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) control facilities, nonpoint source pollution control projects, and decentralized wastewater management.