WATER

Renew America’s Water

Why Rhode Island Needs Federal Investment in Public Water to
Provide Safe Water for Generations to Come
Fact Sheet • July 2010

R hode Island’s public water systems have provided reliable access to drinking
water and safe disposal of wastewater for decades, yet a crisis looms. When
Congress passed the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure that
our waterways were protected and our drinking water safe, they provided increased
funding for community water systems to meet these more protective standards.
However, since the 1980s, the federal government has been cutting back funding to
communities for water infrastructure, with assistance falling to historic lows under
the Bush administration. At the same time, many of our nation’s water systems that
were built in the early 20th century are reaching the end of their lifespan. Without
dedicated federal funding, communities simply cannot afford to make the necessary
repairs to pipes and water systems that keep our waters clean and safe. This lack of
investment in communities’ water infrastructure poses a danger to the environment
and threatens the safety of our water for future generations.

The campaign to Renew America’s Water will create a
dedicated source of federal funding, which will improve
water quality, protect the environment, create good jobs
and ensure safe, reliable water for generations to come.
Reliable Access to Safe Water Is
Threatened
Rhode Island’s drinking water and sewer infrastructure
needs dramatically outpace available funding. According
to Rhode Island’s latest project priority list for the Drink-
ing Water State Revolving Fund Program (SRF), the state’s
public water systems need $316 million to keep our water
safe.1 In 2010, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
Program (SRF), which provides low interest loans and
grants to maintain safe drinking water, received less than
$14 million in federal funding — enough to finance only 4
percent of what is needed.2
Rhode Island’s publicly owned wastewater systems need
$1.3 billion to protect water quality and public health.3
In 2010, the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund
program, which goes toward wastewater infrastructure,
received $14 million in federal funding — enough to
finance about 1 percent of what is needed.4
As a result, even after state contributions, State Revolving
Funds fall $1.6 billion short of what is needed to maintain
Rhode Island’s water and sewer systems, leaving local
governments with much of the financial burden. Additional
funding is necessary to maintain and improve the state’s
water quality. We need to act now to Renew America’s
Water and close this funding gap.
Protecting Our Beaches, Rivers and
Lakes
Aging water infrastructure does more than threaten our
future access to reliable drinking water — it also harms the
environment in our communities. Aging sewer pipes can
burst and spill untreated waste into our rivers, lakes and
streams. This is a problem in communities across the state.
According to the EPA’s Rhode Island 2008 Water Quality
Assessment Report, 45 percent of the state’s river miles, 53
percent of its lake waters and 36 percent of the bays and
estuaries assessed were impaired and too polluted to sup-
port their designated uses.5
Sewage overflows and stormwater runoff can also cause
waters to be unfit for recreational use. Rhode Island had
more than 53 closures and advisories at beaches in 2008.6
In addition, analysis of beach monitoring data showed that
14 percent of samples in Rhode Island exceeded national
health standards. In other words, the contamination could
make beachgoers sick.7
Furthermore, leaks in our aging pipes lose water, even in
parts of the country facing water shortages. According to
the U.S. Geological Survey, 1.7 trillion gallons of water are
lost from distribution to consumer taps — equivalent to
one out of every five gallons of drinking water.8
Increased investment in water and sewer systems will bet-
ter protect our rivers, lakes, bays and beaches and reduce
loss of treated drinking water through leaky pipes.
Creating Quality Jobs and Investing in
Our Future
Renewing America’s Water will not just provide universal
access to water and an improved environment — it will
also create hundreds of thousands of quality jobs at a time
when our communities need it most. Rhode Island’s unem-
ployment rate continues to hover around 12.5 percent with
72,300 people out of work.9
According to the National Utility Contractors Association,
for every $1 billion spent on water infrastructure, nearly
27,000 jobs are created.10 Fully addressing the state’s
annual water funding shortfall would generate 42,800
employment opportunities not only in the water sector
but throughout the local economies that benefit from the
increased employment. Therefore, every federal dollar in-
vested in infrastructure yields a $1.59 return to our states.11
That could put nearly three out of every five unemployed
people in the state back to work.12 Water and sewer infra-
structure jobs are typically filled locally, and investing now
in water and sewer systems can generate solid economic
growth and bring jobs into our communities.
Fixing Water Infrastructure in Schools
Schools across Rhode Island have outdated water pipes
and drinking fountains that have fallen into disrepair. As a
result, children do not have access to safe drinking water
at school. Currently, there is no federal funding devoted to
updating and repairing drinking water systems in schools.
The campaign to Renew America’s Water would provide
grants to schools to make the repairs needed to provide
safe, affordable tap water to students.
It’s Time to Renew America’s Water
To Renew America’s Water, we need a comprehensive,
long-term solution that fully funds our water infrastruc-
ture needs. Funds must be dedicated for this purpose and
protected from yearly political decisions. Legislation to
Renew America’s Water must include funds to assist rural
and low-income communities, help large municipalities
and provide grants to improve water access in our public
schools. Such an investment would relieve overburdened
state and municipal governments, create hundreds of thou-
sands of good jobs, and ensure universal access to clean
drinking water for generations to come.
Take Action
• Get involved in the campaign to Renew America’s
Water. Visit us at www.foodandwaterwatch.org/
renew to:
• Sign the petition and endorse the campaign
• Join our team of activists who blog or write letters
to the editor about the campaign
• Host a house party movie screening about our
water needs
• Find out more ways to get involved
Endnotes
1 Rhode Island Department of Health. “Rhode Island Drinking Water
State Revolving Fund FY2010 Project Priority List.” April 13, 2009.
2 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water.
“Distribution of Drinking Water SRF Appropriation. 2010 DWSRF
Allotment based on 2007 SWINSA Results.” January 15, 2010.
3 Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Office of
Water Resources. “Fiscal Year 2010 Project Priority List.”
4 FY 2010 Clean Water State Revolving Fund Title VI Allotments. Janu-
ary 15, 2010.
5 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Watershed Assess-
ment, Tracking & Environmental Results. “Rhode Island 2008 Water
Quality Assessment Report Assessed Waters of Rhode Island by Wa-
tershed.” Available at: http://iaspub.epa.gov/waters10/attains_index.
control?p_area=RI
6 Dorfman, Mark and Kristen Sinclair Rosselot. National Resources
Defense Council “Testing the Waters 2009: A Guide to Water Qual-
ity at Vacation Beaches.” National Resources Defense Council. 2009
at RI.9.
7 Dorfman, Mark and Kristen Sinclair Rosselot. National Resources
Defense Council “Testing the Waters 2009: A Guide to Water Qual-
ity at Vacation Beaches.” National Resources Defense Council. 2009
at RI.1.
8 US Environmental Protection Agency. Water Research Adaptation
Program: Research Areas. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/
wswrd/wqm/wrap/research.html.
9 United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Economy at a Glance: Rhode Island. Available at: http://www.bls.
gov/eag/eag.ri.htm.
10 National Utility Contractors Association. [Press Release]. “New
CWC Report Demonstrates Immediate Economic Impact of Water/
Wastewater Infrastructure Investment?” January 28, 2009.
11 Schwartz, Bernard L. and Schwenninger, Sherle R. “A Public Infra-
structure–-Led Economic Recovery Program.” December 4, 2008;
Zandi, Mark. Chief economist and co-founder, Moody’s Economy.
com. Testimony on Economic Stimulus For Small Business: A Look
Back and Assessing Need For Additional Relief. U.S. House Commit-
tee on Small Business. July 24, 2008
12 Food & Water Watch Calculation 26,669 x 1.60486 =
42,800/72,300= 0.592
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Copyright © July 2010 Food & Water Watch