There is a substantial shortfall between the facilities needed to adequately provide drinking water and sewage treatment facilities. This shortfall exists even in developed countries, where money available for maintenance may fall short of needs, see Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, a 2005 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Failure to properly maintain aging water and sewer systems sometimes manifests itself with the appearance of sinkholes, collapse of the surface into voids produced by erosion by leaking water. Often, however, there is no visible manifestation, simply a literal drain on the resources of the community. ^[1]

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ "Gaping Reminders of Aging and Crumbling Pipes" article by William Yardley, in the New York Times, February 8, 2007