A new report shows America’s water systems need more than a trillion dollars in upgrades in the coming decades. In the West, states are dealing with shrinking reservoirs, worsening drought, and a lack of data to plan for the future. Many Western states use outdated methods to measure their water system needs according to an analysis by Pew Charitable Trusts, a nonpartisan research group. Some states don’t even have inventories of basic assets, like aging pipes, or where lead service lines still exist. … Nationwide, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates water and wastewater systems will need more than a trillion dollars in upgrades over the next 20 years.

Other water system news:

• KALW (San Francisco): Increased flood risks pose threat to drinking water for 60 million Americans​