Broken Pipes, Busted Budgets, and a Retiring Workforce: The Clock Is Ticking on America's Water Systems

Jun 24
8 min read

Sponsored By Oldcastle Infrastructure | America’s Water Crisis Is Growing—But So Are the Solutions

Oldcastle Infrastructure, Christopher Cummings, CivilSense, Peter Delgado, Water Conservation, Water Scarcity, Water Shortage, Water Access, Clean Water, Water Infrastructure, Drinking Water, Disaster Management, Water, Water Resources, Water Management, Sustainability, Environment, Economy, Decarbonization, Global Warming, Climate Change, Sustainable Business, Resilience, Climate Adaptation, Climate Resilience, Beauty, Industry, Wellness, Lifestyle, Sustainable Living, Conscious Living, Capitalism, Policy, The SustainabilityX® Magazine

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Summary

America’s water systems are facing a perfect storm: aging infrastructure, mounting financial pressures, and a retiring workforce are converging to create a national crisis. With more than 33 trillion gallons of treated water lost annually and over $625 billion needed to modernize the nation’s drinking water infrastructure, traditional methods of maintenance are no longer sustainable. Add in the growing skills gap as seasoned water utility workers retire, and the urgency becomes clear.

In this article, Chris Cummings, smart water consultant at Oldcastle Infrastructure, outlines how municipalities can rise to the challenge by adopting advanced, AI-powered tools like CivilSense™. With 93% accuracy in leak detection, real-time GIS integration, and data-driven prioritization, CivilSense™ enables utilities to shift from reactive repairs to proactive asset management—even with limited budgets and staffing.

As cities like Atlanta invest in smart infrastructure following high-profile failures, this article underscores how innovation isn’t just about saving money—it’s about securing a resilient and equitable water future for generations to come.

Water scarcity is an escalating crisis across the United States, driven by a trio of urgent challenges: aging infrastructure, maxed-out municipal budgets, and a rapidly aging workforce.

The American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) 2025 State of the Water Industry Report names financing for capital improvements as the top concern facing water utilities today. Closely following is the urgent need to renew and replace outdated infrastructure — a long-standing issue growing more critical by the year. Meanwhile, the industry is bracing for a talent drain: within the next decade, one in three U.S. water utility operators will be eligible for retirement, raising concerns about a growing skillset gap.

Effective, sustainable water management is no longer optional — it's essential for both environmental protection and economic stability. While the U.S. has adequate water overall, distribution is uneven by geography and season. Efficient use of existing resources is necessary to prevent local shortages, protect ecosystems, reduce pollution, and buffer communities from extreme weather events. The economic ripple effects are wide-reaching, disrupting agriculture, delaying new development, and increasing costs for businesses and residents trying to maintain access to clean, reliable water.

America's Water Systems: An Infrastructure System Past Its Expiration Date

The aging U.S. water infrastructure system loses more than 33 trillion gallons of drinking water annually, costing the country more than $187 billion each year, according to the 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers infrastructure report card. Most of the network was constructed after World War II with a projected 75-year lifespan, and its two million miles of pipeline are now overdue for replacement.

The cost to replace and update the water infrastructure system is staggering. According to The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 report on America’s infrastructure, an estimated $625 billion is needed over the next two decades to modernize the nation's drinking water systems — a cost that comes as municipalities are already struggling to balance tightening budgets. The report also found that 70% of utilities have not yet implemented an asset management plan that would improve infrastructure to meet these needs.

Adding to this strain is a talent crisis. A “silver tsunami” of retiring workers is exiting the workforce and leaving utilities without the institutional knowledge they need to maintain aging systems. The pipeline of new talent isn’t keeping pace, and time for training is limited.

Legacy Tools Are No Longer Enough

City leaders and utility managers are under increasing pressure to do more with less — prioritizing repairs on the worst leaks while managing systems with limited insight. Unfortunately, legacy tools for leak detection are outdated and inefficient, leading to excessive delays, catastrophic breaks and higher costs.

Meeting today’s water challenges requires more than temporary fixes — it demands strategic, forward-looking investment in smart monitoring systems and asset management. Oldcastle Infrastructure’s CivilSense™ is an innovative water asset management solution that empowers utilities to proactively address these issues. CivilSense™ combines cutting-edge AI technology with decades of industry experience to deliver a data-driven, precision-based approach to water system management.

As Heather Collins, Assistant Group Manager, Water System Operations, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, stated in the AWWA 2025 State of the Water Industry Report:

“While many water systems across North America have exceeded their design lives, this is our moment to transition from reactive repairs to proactive asset management, rehabilitation, and replacement. By embracing innovative solutions and sustainable practices, we can ensure system integrity and reliability, even as we face increasing natural hazards and the pressures of climate change. Together, we must prioritize investment in resilient infrastructure to secure the future of water services for generations to come.”

A Smarter Solution: AI-Powered Tools

Accuracy and precision are essential to tackling water loss. CivilSense™ uses AI-powered analytics paired with field inspections to detect leaks with 93% accuracy. Utility managers can access timely, actionable data to prioritize repairs, accelerate response, streamline budgets, and make informed decisions that enhance long-term reliability and system performance.

CivilSense™ uses geographic information system (GIS) mapping, infrastructure data, and climate insights to identify high-risk pipeline segments before failures occur. Experts then strategically deploy acoustic sensors that gather data in real time. The AI-powered technology analyzes the data, which is validated by field inspectors, then sorts and prioritizes it based on factors including leak severity, pipe diameter and material, risk zones and more.

It’s a unique approach that helps prevent the costly, disruptive water main failures that are becoming far too common. According to a Utah State University study, the U.S. and Canada experience roughly 260,000 water main breaks annually, costing about $2.6 billion to repair — not including lost revenue, property damage, or economic disruptions for businesses and workers.

Atlanta offers a real-world example. In 2024, the city experienced several major water main breaks in just a few weeks, prompting a state of emergency. With high-profile events like the FIFA Club World Cup in 2026 on the horizon, Atlanta is investing more than $1 billion in capital improvements, starting with an AI-powered infrastructure assessment.

As utilities try to recruit a new generation of workers, tools like CivilSense™ are helping bridge the skills gap. This technology not only enables smarter, data-backed decisions but also supports and extends existing teams — increasing efficiency even with fewer staff.

Real Returns on Investment

With shrinking budgets, this robust, data-driven support enables municipalities to plan both budgets and assets more efficiently and effectively. CivilSense™ delivers clear, quantifiable return on investments — helping utilities reduce water loss, lower labor and repair costs, avoid costly emergency responses, and prevent damage before it happens. Some utilities are realizing returns on their initial investment in as little as four months.

The cost of inaction is steep. Every year without intervention results in more lost water, more infrastructure failures, and increased pressure on already strained budgets. Municipalities that delay the adoption of modern solutions risk compounding financial burdens and eroding public trust.

CivilSense™ is more than a service — it’s a strategic partnership that helps municipalities build a sustainable, resilient future. By reducing water loss, empowering smaller teams, and supporting long-term asset management planning, it helps utilities maximize resources while protecting essential public infrastructure.

Now is the time to shift from reactive to proactive water management.

This article is sponsored content in collaboration with Oldcastle Infrastructure and is published by The SustainabilityX® Magazine—an award-winning, female-founded and female-led digital nonprofit platform that has been advancing sustainability and driving impact through bold dialogue since 2016. We are committed to transforming the environment and economy for a sustainable future through the power of women’s leadership. As an independent publication dedicated to high-impact storytelling, we rely on the support of our community and mission-aligned partners to continue our work. Please note: we do not share your personal information with advertisers, and our editorial content remains fully independent of financial contributors.

About Chris Cummings

Chris Cummings is a smart water consultant for the Digital Water market at Oldcastle Infrastructure with experience in software solutions and go-to-market strategy.

About CivilSense™

Oldcastle Infrastructure’s CivilSense™ is an advanced water infrastructure management platform that leverages artificial intelligence, acoustic sensing, and real-time data to proactively detect and address leaks before they escalate into emergencies. With a market-leading accuracy rate of 93%, CivilSense™ enables municipalities to transition from reactive maintenance to strategic, data-driven asset management, effectively reducing water loss and associated costs. By integrating multi-source data—including GIS, infrastructure, and climate insights—CivilSense™ identifies high-risk pipeline segments, allowing for targeted interventions that enhance the resilience and sustainability of water systems. This innovative solution empowers communities to safeguard their water resources, minimize service disruptions, and optimize infrastructure investments.

About OldCastle Infrastructure

Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH company, is a leading provider of engineered building solutions across North America. With nearly 80 manufacturing facilities and a workforce of over 4,000 employees, the company delivers a comprehensive portfolio of more than 16,000 products, including precast concrete, polymer concrete, and plastic components. These solutions serve critical sectors such as water, energy, communications, and transportation, supporting the development and maintenance of essential infrastructure.

Committed to sustainability and innovation, Oldcastle Infrastructure aligns its operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on responsible consumption, climate action, and the advancement of sustainable communities. As part of CRH plc, one of the world's largest building materials companies, Oldcastle Infrastructure combines global resources with local expertise to deliver reliable, high-quality solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern infrastructure projects.

About The SustainabilityX® Magazine

The SustainabilityX® Magazine is an award-winning, digital, female-founded, and female-led non-profit initiative bringing the environment and economy together for a sustainable future through dialogue, and now transforming the environment and economy for a sustainable future through the power of women's leadership. Founded on May 8, 2016, and inspired by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by Canada's Top 30 Under 30 in Sustainability Leadership awardee, Supriya Verma, the digital media initiative focuses on approaching the world's most pressing challenges with a holistic, integrated, systems-based perspective as opposed to the traditional and ineffective siloed approach with a single lens on interdisciplinary topics like climate and energy. This initiative ultimately seeks to explore how to effectively bring the environment and economy together through intellectual, insightful dialogue and thought-provoking discussion amongst individuals across sectors taking an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to untangling the intricate web of sustainability while championing women's leadership in sustainability.

The SustainabilityX® Magazine is built upon the four foundational pillars of sustainability: Environmental Stewardship, which emphasizes the importance of improving environmental health; Economic Prosperity, which promotes sustainable economic growth that transcends traditional capitalist models; Social Inclusion, which focuses on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for BIPOC, LGBTQ, and other marginalized or vulnerable communities; and Just Governance, which highlights responsible leadership, the equal application of the rule of law, and the creation of fair systems for all.

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