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NCRWA.COM |
Fall 2013
from the president
“This is not a time to
stick our heads in the
sand; rather, it is the
time to reach out and
be transparent with
those who can help us
make the best decisions
and strategies for the
success of our industry”
M
uch of the existing infrastructure in North
Carolina such as underground pipes,
treatment plants, storage tanks and other
facilities were built 50 to 100 years ago. The
1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments
mandated that the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) conduct an
assessment of the nation’s public water
systems’ infrastructure every four years.
The fifth of these national assessments,
completed in 2011, reported a total nation-
wide infrastructure funding need of $384.2
billion for the 20-year period from January
2011 to December 2030 for water systems to
continue to provide safe drinking water to the
public.
These results were derived from responses
to a needs survey completed by 3,150
community water systems. The Maggie
Valley Sanitary District, at which I am the
Director, was selected to collect information
and be a representative part of this process.
Our system has participated in the last three
surveys (2003, 2007, 2011) submitted from
North Carolina to the USEPA. Sadly, North
Carolina remains as one of the nine states
that has a 20-year capital improvement need
of over 10 billion dollars.
With the slowly-recovering economic
recession continuing to bring disappointing
revenues, where can water and wastewater
system turn for answers? The answer may be
simpler than one may think: Networking. In
August of this year, NCRWA held our first
Leadership Summit in Asheville, N.C. This
event was geared towards decision-makers
across our industry to address the most
pressing matters facing our organizations
today, including innovative ways to mitigate
our failing infrastructure and revenue
shortfalls. As a system manager, I have found
networking at events, such as the Leadership
Summit, to be a useful tool in learning
what other systems are doing to address
the issues similar to the ones we face in
Maggie Valley. While many systems believe
they cannot afford to attend these types
of event, I personally and professionally
challenge that thought; we can’t afford not
to attend, to network, and to learn how other
professionals across the state are winning
the battles against these critical demands.
Networking can benefit your organizations in
tremendous ways.
This is not a time to stick our heads in the
sand; rather, it is the time to reach out and
be transparent with those who can help us
make the best decisions and strategies for
the success of our industry. Being a member
of NCRWA for the last 24 years has been
and continues to be a resource that holds
great value to each decision made by our
system. Thanks again to the Members and
the Staff of NCRWA for always stepping up
to the challenge!
Neil Carpenter
President
