The residents of SunRidge Canyon here in Fountain Hills know about the importance of water infrastructure, because they’ve had to learn the hard way.

Over the last several years, SunRidge Canyon residents have had to deal with several unexpected breaks to water mains serving their neighborhood, and every time the water main broke, their lives were disrupted. In addition to these residents having little or no water pressure, traffic had to be detoured while repairs to the main were completed. Four years ago, one main break scoured enough road base material that it caused a fire truck to break through the pavement. Every time a water main breaks, thousands of gallons of water are lost.

For the residents of SunRidge Canyon those days are over. Starting in April of this year, EPCOR began replacing over one mile of PVC pipe with a new 12-inch iron water main. The new pipe is far more durable and will be installed using proper backfilling and bedding procedures, giving residents peace of mind that they don’t have to worry about when the next main break might occur.

Unfortunately, the problems caused by the Sunridge water main are not exclusive to SunRidge Canyon residents or EPCOR. All across the nation, water companies are challenged every day to maintain and replace aging infrastructure at great cost to the utilities and their ratepayers. At EPCOR, our most important responsibility is ensuring we have modern infrastructure – including wells, plants, and pipes – that allows us to maintain safe and reliable water service to our customers. Water is a precious commodity and EPCOR is committed to minimizing water loss by addressing these infrastructure challenges proactively.

As the Sunridge water main project demonstrates, it’s best to approach these infrastructure needs in a planned, systemic and strategic way. Just like the emergency phone call to a plumber on a Saturday night to fix a leaking fixture in your home, fixing a water main on an emergency basis is a very expensive and disruptive proposition. Although certainly expensive, replacing the Sunridge Drive water main in a planned and orderly fashion will produce long-term savings for the ratepayers, reduce disruptions in water service, and help reduce water losses in Fountain Hills.

That’s not the only reason to keep our infrastructure up to date. Arizona is in a well-documented drought. Lake Mead has nearly fallen to a level that could result in diminished supplies to farmers and other water users. We need to make sure that every drop of water is used beneficially. Just as our customers watch for leaks in their irrigation and home water systems, we constantly monitor our distribution systems to find wasteful leaks and then act quickly to stop them.

I find it fitting that National Infrastructure Week (May 13-20) arrived while we are performing the Sunridge Drive water main replacement project. Upgrading water infrastructure throughout the country must be a priority.

By one estimate, more than $1.7 trillion will need to be invested in America over the next 25 years in water and wastewater infrastructure. In Arizona alone, water and wastewater infrastructure needs will come close to $10 billion over the next 20 years according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

EPCOR is committed to keeping our infrastructure healthy and strong because it allows us to fulfill our obligation to deliver clean, safe and reliable water to everyone we serve in Fountain Hills.

Frank Metzler is Director of Operations for the Eastern Division of EPCOR, which includes the communities of Fountain Hills, Anthem, Rio Verde and Paradise Valley.