The American Water Works Association (AWWA) recently released its 2026 State of the Water Industry report citing aging water infrastructure as the number one issue facing the water sector – with a price tag of more than $2 trillion in capital investments over the next 24 years to fix it.
The solution: investing, planning and building more sustainable water systems, says Kyle Couture, AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe/AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe marketing manager. “Water utilities allocate a significant portion of their budget to eliminating hazards like PFAS and other contaminants from the water supply to provide safe drinking water to consumers,” Couture said. “Utilities are under pressure as to where to allocate the remaining areas of their budget, as well as devoting other resources and time for repairs.”
In support of water infrastructure projects, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which provided about $55 billion for capital projects to improve water quality and accessibility nationwide. This funding continues to flow through 2026 as Congress considers the next phase of federal support. “Many water utilities rely heavily on federal and state funding, like this bill, for capital projects,” said Couture, a 30-year veteran with AMERICAN. “With funding set to end this year, there is uncertainty about what happens next.”
Meanwhile, Couture and the AMERICAN team are working with customers to specify, design and install more sustainable water systems that will even better stand the test of time. “One way we can help is by collaborating with customers from the start of their project,” Couture said. “Factors such as service life, strength, corrosion protection, installation conditions and total life-cycle cost all play a role. Considering these factors from the start will help ensure water infrastructure lasts for generations to come.”
In addition to AWWA’s State of the Industry Report, another key indicator of the health of America’s water infrastructure is the American Society of Civil Engineer’s (ASCE) annual report card. The organization gave the nation’s infrastructure a C-minus in 2025 and urged decision-makers and water professionals to consider the effects on public safety should federal and state investments be curtailed. Much of the nation’s 2 million miles of drinking water infrastructure is nearing the end of its service life, the report stated.
Couture noted product service life and frequency of repairs as important considerations for creating more sustainable systems. “For these reasons, choosing the right product is critical when fortifying existing underground transmission and distribution lines,” Couture said. “Ductile iron pipe has a proven track record of resilience and offers many long-term benefits, including lower operational, maintenance and energy costs.”
First introduced to the market in 1955, ductile iron pipe improves on the characteristics of cast iron pipe, which is still in use today in some municipalities. “The composition of ductile iron pipe makes it stronger and more flexible than traditional cast iron,” Couture explained. “This allows the pipe to withstand greater pressure, soil movement, traffic loads and other underground stresses over a long service life.”
While federal funding has helped move many important projects forward, the long-term challenge of renewing America’s water infrastructure will require continued investment, thoughtful planning and materials that can perform over time. For utilities working to do more with limited resources, Couture says building with sustainability in mind is one of the most important steps they can take.
