It’s a problem communities can face when populations and property values decline.
WASHINGTON — Cities with shrinking populations and aging water infrastructure can face tough choices when it comes to paying for waterworks upgrades and keeping service affordable.
This has some experts and lawmakers raising concerns. They caution that there are localities around the U.S. that could be at risk of problems similar to those that bedeviled Flint, Michigan, where residents were exposed to lead-contaminated drinking water.
“Communities that are struggling begin to make sacrifices, budgetary decisions, based on what they can afford and what their immediate needs are,” Rep. Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat whose district encompasses Flint, said at an event on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
ROUTE FIFTY
BY BILL LUCIA
DECEMBER 7, 2017