A coalition of union and environmental groups says it’s time for the federal government to invest more money in the nation’s aging water and sewer lines.
The group points to the city of Lansing as an example. The Laborers’ International Union of North America says it would cost more than $280 million to fully repair and replace the capitol city’s aging water lines. It estimates the cost statewide would be in the tens of billions of dollars.
The union’s Ben Lyons says water systems everywhere are failing.
"The infrastructure…a lot of it…is over 50, 60 years old," Lyons says, "And when we get infrastructure that old…I don’t care what its made out of…its going to fail.”
The coalition says the solution is for Congress to pass several job bills, including the American Jobs Act. Congressional Republicans oppose the president’s various jobs bills. They are pushing legislation to loosen regulations, which they say will generate employment growth.
