Improvements needed for nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure

Tom Roberts, president of Aqua North Carolina, Inc., a Cary-based water and wastewater service provider, spoke Friday about the role that public-private partnerships can play in rehabilitating the nation’s aging water and wastewater infrastructure. Roberts spoke at a National Association of Water Companies’ southeast chapter conference in Chattanooga, Tenn., according to a release from Aqua.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that an investment of $384 billion is needed by 2030 in repairs and improvements to water and wastewater systems across the county in the next two decades, the release says. Roberts said the private and public sectors will need to work together to reach this goal.

“Reliable water and wastewater services are necessities of life, and our country needs to make sure that the pipes, treatment plants, wells, tanks and fire hydrants that deliver these services are properly maintained now and in the future,” Roberts said in the release. “We can’t rely on state and local governments to bear all the costs of this massive undertaking. Private, publicly regulated utilities can work with governments to provide the financial resources and technical expertise needed to repair and operate aging systems.”

Aqua provides water and wastewater service to more than 250,000 residents in 52 counties throughout the state, including Iredell, Mecklenburg and Union.

Last year, Aqua spent more than $11 million to repair and improve water and wastewater systems throughout N.C. Aqua provides water and wastewater service to more than 250,000 residents in 52 counties throughout the state, including Iredell, Mecklenburg and Union.