Is the U.S. Neglecting Its Water?

Many of the country's water systems date back to the Civil War, and they received a collective D-minus in the American Society of Civil Engineers' last round of infrastructure grades. However, the need for major improvements remains ignored by the public and politicians, who tend to take water delivery and sewage removal for granted, says Herbert.

The corrosion of the nation's water systems is indicative of an ongoing failure of leadership when it comes to infrastructure, Herbert writes:

"If public officials would provide honest leadership on this and other infrastructure issues, making a sound case for the investments that are needed and the benefits that would accrue from rebuilding America's infrastructure, the public would be likely to sign on."