Appalachia has less, pays more for water, sewer systems
Straight-piping ? where sewage goes directly into a stream ? is still a problem in remote areas, and some towns that have treatment systems can’t afford to operate them up to standards, said researcher Jeff Hughes.
Because headwaters of the Eastern United States’ major rivers are all in Appalachia, “whatever happens to Appalachian waters has major consequences for the nation as a whole,” said the report by the University of North Carolina Environmental Science Center. The ARC hired the center to study infrastructure in its 13-state region.
The region’s hard rock topography makes it more difficult and expensive to lay and repair water and sewer pipes or install septic systems. Steep slopes require more and larger pumps, said Hughes, director of the center and author of the report.
Because of the expense, Appalachian residents spend a higher portion of their incomes on water and sewer bills, Hughes said.
West Virginia’s system of distributing government money for water and sewer projects could be a model for other states, Hughes said.
“The level of service a lot of communities are getting through investments from the infrastructure council is quite high and it’s impressive,” Hughes said in a telephone interview Tuesday, a day before he presented his report to the West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council.
The West Virginia Legislature created the council in 1994 to oversee $300 million in bonds issued to fund and coordinate infrastructure projects. The council has leveraged that and about another $300 million from other sources to spend more than $2.5 billion on 575 water and sewer and 100 economic development projects, said council executive director Katy Mallory.
Because of the council, “In West Virginia the model has been ‘We’ll come and provide a 25 percent or 15 percent state grant or a low interest loan and you have to pay it back,’ and the project has gotten done,” Hughes said.
In other states, communities want a 100 percent grant “and the projects are not getting done,” Hughes said.
West Virginia residents also benefit from West Virginia-American Water, Hughes said. Few other Appalachian areas have such a large, private water company.
The company has a network of eight large, cost-efficient water treatment plants that serve more than 50 communities. Its rates are regulated by the West Virginia Public Service Commission, which allows it to collect a rate of return on capital investment.
While regionalization works in West Virginia and Kentucky, it might not work in other states because they don’t have the government structure or geography to support it, Hughes said.
The report found that of the 23 million people living in Appalachia:
?About 74 percent are served by community water systems, compared to the 85 percent of the nation. Wells remain the primary source of water in some regions, especially mountainous areas.
?About 33 percent are served by small and medium-sized water systems, compared to 20 percent of the nation. Smaller systems are more expensive to operate.
?About 18 percent of their community water systems rely on surface water sources, compared to 11 percent of the nation. Those systems have higher capital and operating costs than systems that treat groundwater.
?About 52 percent are served by public sewer systems, compared to 75 percent of U.S. households in 1990, the most recent census data on that topic.
Hughes’ written report was completed in July and previously was presented in Washington, D.C., to a joint meeting of the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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On the Net:
Appalachian Regional Commission: http://www.arc.gov