Experts: U.S. water infrastructure in trouble...
Read more …Experts: U.S. water infrastructure in trouble
By Alison Kosik, CNN
Washington (CNN) -- Anita Kramer had no idea that a 72-inch water main in her Maryland neighborhood was a ticking time bomb that was about to flood her home and ruin many of her most cherished possessions.
In the wake of the water main break, Kramer's basement kitchen was a mess. Appliances were covered in dirt, as was the floor. Dark water and mould stains marked the baseboards and walls.
"It's not the money value of what you lost," she said about the pipe burst. "You put your heart into doing something ... the memories you lose -- it was a hard experience."
Kramer's disaster was just one of an average 700 water main breaks nationwide that experts say occur each day. They warn that this is the latest sign of an aging water delivery infrastructure that results in property loss, inconvenience, and threats to public health.
The nation's drinking water system is so troubled, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave it a grade of D minus, in its 2009 Report Card of America's Infrastructure.
