Water Infrastructure at a Tipping Point

What differentiates a developed country from a poor nation? Its a long list, quality of infrastructure is in top three. A recent NYT article on our aging water pipes should be taken very seriously. Also here is a excerpt from the EPA report.

There are 240,000 water main breaks per year in the united states...Large utility breaks in the midwest increased from 250 per year to 2,200 per year during a 19-year period. In 2003, baltimore, maryland, reported 1,190 water main breaks—that’s more than three per day.

According to this blog, there were about 2000 leaks across MA,losing about 250 million gallons of treated water.

We need a comprehensive rethinking of our long-term water management plan. Is it just about availability of funding for capital equipment replacement?