August 2010 Vol. 65 No. 8
Newsline
EPA Issues Clean Watershed Needs Report To Congress
The Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) 2008 Report to Congress summarizes the results of EPA’s 15th national survey of capital costs to address water quality or water quality related public health problems. The U.S. EPA’s Off ice of Wastewater Management conducts the survey every four years, as required by the lean Water Act.
The total wastewater and stormwater management needs for the nation are $298 billion as of Jan. 1, 2008. This amount includes $192 billion for wastewater treatment plants, pipe repairs, and buying and installing new pipes; $64 billion for combined sewer overflow correction; and $42 billion for stormwater management. Small communities have documented needs of $23 billion.
Not surprisingly, additional needs were identified for nonpoint source pollution prevention ($23 billion) and decentralized or onsite wastewater systems ($24 billion).
Data collection for the 2012 survey will begin in early 2012 and will last for about nine months. The 2008 report can be viewed at www.epa.gov/cwns.
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