Uncertainty About Hydrologically Connected Groundwater: NY Implications

Aging or absent sewers and other failing infrastructure, including pipes that carry wastewater to treatment plants, are contributing to water quality problems around the country, including across New York state. Although Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation providing up to $2.5 billion to help local governments address water quality needs, few people believe that this amount will be sufficient. After all, in January 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that $271 billion is needed to maintain and improve the nation's wastewater infrastructure. And earlier this year, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli cited the Department of Health's 2007 estimate that New York's water systems may require nearly $40 billion in repairs and improvements over two decades.