Ensuring clean water through quality water infrastructure
A significant portion of the infrastructure in the United States is water infrastructure. This infrastructure includes piping systems that supply homes and businesses with freshwater supplies and a way to redistribute wastewater. Highly-trained and highly-skilled Local 146 members can modernize our community’s pipe systems. Local 146 and our signatory contractors favor infrastructure legislation that includes replacing old pipes and modernizing the region’s water infrastructure.At the rate the United States, and especially the Fort Worth area, is expected to grow in population, the current pipe systems in many states and towns will not be able to handle the influx of use.
We have seen the effects of old and mismanaged piping systems throughout the United States, with Flint, Michigan, being a prime example. When pipes are not adequately cared for or replaced when they are contaminated, it can devastate the environment and our local community. Due to corrosion and mismanagement, water main breaks are inevitable, requiring a costly cleanup and inconveniences related to the reliability of these systems. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has published some frightening information regarding the need to modernize the water infrastructure systems of America. They estimate the United States loses seven billion gallons of water from leaking pipes resulting in a $1 trillion fix.
Creating jobs for pipe tradesmen and tradeswomen by investing in water infrastructure
Just like the New Deal put massive amounts of Americans to work on infrastructure projects throughout the country, modernizing our water infrastructure will do the same. The amount of work that needs immediate attention is massive, and the tradesmen and tradeswomen who complete this work earn a family-supporting wage and excellent fringe benefits. The number of jobs created would be in the tens of thousands per $1 billion spent and can continue increasing using American-made products and materials.
The pipe trades industry is seeing a great need for new tradesmen and tradeswomen to join the ranks. Local 146 and our signatory contractors spend extensive money on training and stand ready to train tradesmen and tradeswomen for this work. Water infrastructure projects could be the boost needed to show people that there is a high volume of work in the industry and that it is a viable career.
