"Plugging the leaks in water pipes and building new ones to keep up with a growing population could cost the United States $1 trillion over the next 25 years, according to an industry study released Monday."

"That study unearths a subject few Americans think about: buried drinking-water mains. As with aging highway infrastructure, however, the vast network of pipes built out during the boom years of the 20th century is now nearing the end of its life span.

"We've known for a long time that pipe networks are aging. We didn't appreciate the magnitude of the challenge," said Tom Curtis, deputy executive director of the American Water Works Association, which commissioned the report. "The size of the need was startling even to water professionals."

The report did not include wastewater lines, which could double the national price-tag."

Matt Sledge reports for the Huffington Post February 28, 2012. [2]