Trillions of gallons are lost from aging drinking water systems across the U.S. after decades of deferred maintenance and disinvestment. Some communities struggle to provide safe and reliable service, especially in older industrial and rural areas in the eastern half of the country that have seen significant population and industrial decline that leave behind poorer residents, vacant neighborhoods and too-large water systems. Some systems lose more than half of their treated drinking water before it reaches users. Yet experts say such communities often are at a disadvantage when seeking funding, resulting in a downward spiral.
Illinois officials want to hire staff to ensure communities using Lake Michigan water annually report use and loss. The state has no certified records after 2017, when several communities reported significant nonrevenue water — up to 52% in Maywood, west of Chicago. “It’s a huge problem because infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating,” said Loren Wobig, director of water resources at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.