Public works officials indicate alarming decline in condition of water and sewer systems

According to a survey in the National League of Cities’ 2026 Municipal Infrastructure Conditions Report, the confidence of public works and city officials in their water systems has dropped significantly, with just 39% of officials surveyed saying their own water and sewer infrastructure is 'satisfactory,' down from 82% in 2022.

As Robyn Griggs Lawrence explains in Smart Cities Dive, no officials called their water systems 'unsatisfactory' in 2022; in 2026, that number jumped to 39%. 

The report notes that one factor in lower ratings may be increased funding for studies and improvements provided by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. "Engineering studies and asset inventories, required to apply for the funding, heightened many cities’ awareness of water infrastructure issues that were not fully documented before, according to the report." Cities are also being held to stricter standards when it comes to lead pipe replacement and PFAS contamination. 

Aging infrastructure and more extreme weather are also straining local water systems and putting pressure on increasingly inadequate networks. "Cities are leveraging federal programs, such as a Bureau of Reclamation funding pool supporting surface or groundwater storage projects, to address water and sewer infrastructure quality, according to the report."