WATER

Renew America’s Water

Why Maine Needs Federal Investment in Public Water to Provide
Safe Water for Generations to Come
Fact Sheet • October 2010

M aine’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
Maine’s drinking water and sewer infrastructure needs
dramatically outpace available funding. According to
Maine’s latest project priority list for the Drinking Water
State Revolving Fund (SRF) program, the state’s public
water systems need $37.7 million to keep our water safe.1
In 2010, the state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
program, which provides low-interest loans and grants to
maintain safe drinking water, received $13.6 million in
federal funding — enough to finance only 36 percent of
what is needed.2
Maine’s publicly owned wastewater systems need $110.9
million to protect water quality and public health.3 In
2010, the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund pro-
gram, which goes toward wastewater infrastructure,
received $ 15.9 million in federal funding — enough to
finance 14 percent of what is needed.4
As a result, even after state contributions, state revolv-
ing funds fall $113.2 million short of what is needed to
maintain Maine’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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
Maine 2008 Water Quality Assessment Report, 4 percent of
the state’s river and stream miles and 8 percent of its lake,
reservoir and pond waters assessed were impaired and too
polluted to support their designated uses.5
Sewage overflows and stormwater runoff can also cause
waters to be unfit for recreational use. Maine had 79
closures and advisories at beaches in 2009.6 In addition,
analysis of beach monitoring data showed that 11 percent
of samples in Maine 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. Maine’s unemploy-
ment rate continues to hover around 8 percent with 58,000
people out of work.9
According to the National Utility Contractors Association,
for every $1 billion spent on water infrastructure, between
20,003 and 26,669 jobs are created.10 Fully addressing
the state’s annual water funding shortfall would generate
3,018 employment opportunities, not only in the water
sector but throughout the local economies that benefit
from the increased employment. Therefore, every federal
dollar invested in infrastructure yields a $1.59 return to our
states.11 That could put 5 percent of unemployed people
in the state back to work.12 Water and sewer infrastructure
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 Maine 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 Drinking Water Program, State of Maine Department of Health and
Human Services. “2010 DWSRF Primary Project List ID # List.” May 7,
2010.; Drinking Water Program, State of Maine Department of Health
and Human Services. “2010 DWSRF Backup Project List.” May 11,
2010.
2 Office of Water, United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Final
State Allotment of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Appropriation
for Fiscal Year 2010.” September 15, 2010.
3 Maine Department of Environmental Protection. “Final 2010 CWSRF
Proposed Funding List.” August 20, 2010 at 11-14.
4 Office of Water, United States Environmental Protection Agency. “FY
2010 Enacted Final CWSRF Allotments.” January 15, 2010.
5 United States Environmental Protection Agency, Watershed Assess-
ment, Tracking & Environmental Results. “Maine 2008 Water Quality
Assessment Report Assessed Waters of Maine by Watershed.” Available
at: http://iaspub.epa.gov/waters10/attains_index.control?p_area=ME,
accessed October 14, 2010.
6 Dorfman, Mark and Kristen Sinclair Rosselot. National Resources
Defense Council “Testing the Waters 2010: A Guide to Water Quality
at Vacation Beaches.” National Resources Defense Council. 2010 at
ME.2.
7 Dorfman, Mark and Kristen Sinclair Rosselot. National Resources
Defense Council “Testing the Waters 2010: A Guide to Water Quality
at Vacation Beaches.” National Resources Defense Council. 2010 at
8
ME.1.
US Environmental Protection Agency. Water Research Adaptation Pro-
gram: Research Areas. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/
wqm/wrap/research.html, accessed September 27, 2010.
9 Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor.
Economy at a Glance: Maine. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.
me.htm, accessed October 14, 2010.
10 PA Consulting Group. Clean Water Council. “Sudden impact: An
assessment of short-term economic impacts of water and wastewater
construction projects in the United States.” June 8, 2009 at 6.
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 Committee on Small
Business. July 24, 2008.
12 Food & Water Watch Calculation: 26,669 x .11318 = 3,018;
3,018/58,000 = 5.20%
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Copyright © October 2010 Food & Water Watch