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In the U.S, there are an estimated 600,000 miles of sewer pipe that transport wastewater from buildings to more than 19,000 publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities. Sewer collection systems transport, on average, a staggering 1,000,000 gallons of wastewater per 10,000 persons daily.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that annually there are more than 40,000 illegal sanitary sewer overflows that release untreated sewage into the environment, creating significant health (e.g., bacterial, viral) and environmental risks. Combined sewer overflows illegally release an additional 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage each year. In most cases, illegal overflows are the direct result of structural failures in sewer collection systems.
The EPA actively enforces The Clean Water Act of 1972 to prevent illegal sewage overflows and has declared 2002 to be the "The Year of Clean Water" in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. An estimated $535 billion over the next 20 years is required by the enforcement of The Clean Water Act to meet the repair and replacement needs (not including operation and maintenance costs) of sewer collection systems.
The thought of spending $535 billion over the next 20 years is a daunting prospect for municipalities across the U.S. With looming budget crises and little hope of recovering these enormous capital expenditures, municipalities are unsure of how they will be able to comply with the EPA's mandates without substantially increasing local taxes and/or user fees.
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