people still have to get their drinking water and bathing water from
the same river or creek where they dump their untreated sewage.
In the United States we have very high expectations for our drinking and
wastewater systems. But we are beginning to feel a pinch when it comes
to our water - where we get it and what we do with it.
- Many people now pay more for their bottled drinking water than
they do for the gas for their car.
- The American Society for Civil Engineers
(ASCE) reported in their 2005 Report Card on America’s
Infrastructure that it will require an investment of more than
$850 billion to
repair and replace aging water facilities
in the U.S. to comply with
regulations and to meet future needs.
- In North Carolina, the Rural Economic Development Center has
launched "Water 2030" to
address the state's long-term water
needs. They predict that North Carolina is facing a $15 billion investment
to meet water and sewer infrastructure needs
in 2030.
- The United Nations has declared
this
the “Water for Life” Decade.
Around the globe, millions of people struggle every day to find safe water
for their basic needs, and water is becoming a source of political and
economic conflict.
Oxford faces this growing global challenge to meet human needs for water and, at the same time, to protect the environment. We have taken a positive step by committing to renovate and rebuild our Wastewater Treatment Plant. The new plant will be able to meet the needs of the community and, at the same time, preserve the quality of the water flowing from Granville County to the Pamlico Sound.
