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E n s u r i n g a S t r o n g F u t u r e 28 | P a g e CHAPTER 3 - INFRASTRUCTURE & ASSETS Water and wastewater operations are extremely capital intensive. Padre Dam's major infrastructure, much of which dates to just after World War II, includes: • 580 miles of water, sewer, and recycled water mains • 29 reservoirs • 16 pump stations serving elevations from 629 to 2,646 feet • 18 pressure regulating stations • Over 24,000 active service connections • 2 imported water connections • 4 sewer lift stations • 2 MGD Title 22 water recycling facility The construction, maintenance and replacement cost for these assets is very expensive and significant investment is required to extend the life or replace these assets. Aging infrastructure has been a concern for many years; the following are a few more recent reports: • 2012 - The American Water Works Association (AWWA) released their report "Buried No Longer: Confronting America's Water Infrastructure Challenge" which confirms the need for massive reinvestment in our infrastructure over the coming decades. • 2013 - The American Society of Civil Engineer's (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card scored both the water and wastewater sectors' infrastructure with a "D" grade. • 2013 - The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment: Fifth Report to Congress" identified the investment needed for thousands of miles of pipes and thousands of treatment plants, storage tanks, and water distribution systems. The survey showed that the nation's water systems have entered a rehabilitation and replacement era in which much of the existing infrastructure has reached or is approaching the end of its useful life. • 2016 - The ASCE's study, "Failure to Act: Closing the Infrastructure Investment Gap for America's Economic Future" updates reports from 2011 and 2012 and quantifies how the persistent failure to invest in our aging infrastructure impacts the economy, including GDP, jobs, personal disposable income, and business sales. • 2017 – The ASCE's 2017 Infrastructure Report Card scored water and wastewater sector's infrastructure a "D" and "D+" respectively. Although it is clear that water and wastewater systems in the U.S. are aging, investment has not been able to keep up with the need. The dilemma for public utilities like Padre Dam is that its infrastructure needs to be maintained or upgraded irrespective of the amount of services provided. At the same time, reduced water consumption and related wastewater flows have negatively impacted revenues. The challenge is to sustain these systems with limited resources so crucial services can be provided now and in the future.