91视频

Every day, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water spill from leaky pipes around the country.

According to a 2007 assessment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the nation’s aging water infrastructure needs approximately $334.8 billion worth of improvements over the next 20 years. However, the U.S. is facing an annual $11 billion shortfall to pay for that work, according to the ASCE.

To that end, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., last week visited the Portland Water Bureau’s operations facility on North Interstate Avenue to introduce new legislation that could help the nation access money for water infrastructure improvements.

The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act is designed to increase the availability of capital at a lower cost by authorizing the federal government to make low-interest loans via the U.S. Treasury for drinking water and wastewater projects.

鈥淚f we can borrow money at a better rate than we’re currently borrowing that means our debt service is lower and our rates are lower,鈥� said David Shaff, administrator for the Portland Water Bureau.

Shaff said the bureau sold $76 million worth of bonds last month with an interest rate of 2.91 percent. Hypothetically, if that rate were to drop to 2 percent through the proposed legislation, the city would save $400,000 a year 鈥� or $10 million over the life of the bonds, he said.

Shaff said that is especially significant because the only other funds now available for water infrastructure are those that are available through the State Revolving Loan Fund, which has a cap of $6 million per loan. And those loans are competitive, he said.

鈥淭hat’s incredibly useful to a small system,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut a system as big as Portland eats up $6 million in a bite pretty quickly.鈥�

That’s because Portland’s 115-year-old water system needs some significant improvements. Shaff said that cast-iron pipes are becoming brittle, pump stations are wearing out and several reservoirs are well beyond their useful years.

Shaff said a fire hydrant on his block is the original one that was installed when the block was built in the 1890s. Other larger, more vital structures also need to be replaced.

鈥淲e have six crossings under the Willamette River,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut only one of those crossings is relatively new 鈥� and when I say new, it’s 鈥� 30 years old.鈥�

That’s the Washington County water supply line. Whether that line or any of the others can endure the impact of a large earthquake is a huge question mark, Shaff said.

Shaff said the Portland Water Bureau is hoping to break ground within the next two months on a $35 million project to renovate its Interstate Avenue maintenance, construction and operations facilities, which are hugely susceptible to seismic events.

鈥淚t’s a 1920s-era unreinforced brick masonry building,鈥� he said of the maintenance and construction building. 鈥淚t will collapse.鈥�

Shaff said the bureau is looking to address $400 million worth of capital infrastructure needs over the next five years. The bureau already has a AAA rating from Moody’s, but any assistance in making that borrowing easier and cheaper is valuable, he said.

Courtney Warner Crowell, deputy communications director for Merkley’s office, said the new bill likely would not be passed before November. She said the idea was to get it out in the open so that it could move forward next spring.

Shaff said multiple benefits would be produced by the legislation.

鈥淚t enables us to borrow money,鈥� he said, 鈥渨hich enables us to do important work, which results in people getting jobs.鈥�