Water’s Worth it
To safeguard public health, maintain quality of life and protect the environment, much of the City of East Lansing’s water and sewer pipes will need to be replaced and/or enlarged due to their age or limited capacity in the coming years.
The City’s current water and sewer infrastructure dates back to the 1920s or earlier, however, the typical anticipated useful life of such infrastructure is typically 50-75 years for sewers and 75-100 years for water mains. In addition, the capacity of the infrastructure was based on what was envisioned more than 70 years ago.
Investing In the Future
To meet East Lansing's future needs for a reliable water supply, treatment and distribution, as well as waste water collection and treatment, the City must begin to proactively replace a significant portion of its older water and sewer infrastructure.
The need to overcome the challenges of an aging and outdated water and sewer system is not unique. The U.S. General Accounting Office estimated that the projected investment needs of drinking water and waste water utilities across the nation ranges from $485 billion to nearly $1.2 trillion over the next 20 years.
Investing in the City’s aging infrastructure is a tremendous challenge in these economic times, but it is vital component in sustaining the health and wellness of the community.