Ohio Needs $12 Billion In Water System Improvements: Report

CLEVELAND, OH — The state will need $12.2 billion in drinking water infrastructure improvements over the next two decades, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Two Ohio lawmakers are looking to get funding for those projects and prevent crises like Flint, Michigan from occurring in the Buckeye State.

“In the last decade, infrastructure spending has been woefully inadequate to keep pace with our aging public water systems,” said State Rep. Kent Smith, a Democrat from Euclid. “When giving consideration to the positive ripple effect that these projects would create for Ohio’s working families and public health, the time to invest is now.”

On top of what's needed to update the state's antiquated drinking water infrastructure, ASCE also said more than $14 billion is needed to update Ohio's wastewater infrastructure. The Society said that "delaying" investment into these projects could increase the risk to residents.

Smith and State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan, Democrat from Youngstown, introduced legislation this week that would seek increased funding for sewer and water capital improvement projects. Money for the work would come from general obligation bonds.

Under the unnumbered House Bill "municipal corporations, counties, townships and other government entities would be eligible to receive state bonds for capital projects..." A companion bill has already been introduced in the Ohio Senate, Senate Joint Resolution 4.

The crumbling infrastructure doesn't just impact urban communities. In fact, many of Ohio's rural communities have been struggling with updating their water systems.

“Communities across Ohio, including many in the Mahoning Valley, constantly struggle to obtain the funding needed to maintain and rebuild critically important infrastructure,” said Lepore-Hagan. “Our failure to upgrade and modernize the systems that deliver our water and treat waste put people’s lives at risk. The longer we wait, the more likely it becomes that a Flint, Michigan-like disaster will occur in our state. I am confident Ohio voters will embrace our commonsense solution to this growing and extremely dangerous dilemma.”

If the House Bill should get approved, voters would still need to vote on the measure in November.

To see the full ASCE assessment, click here.

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