Brookings: Flint Illustrates a National Problem with Infrastructure

A national crisis with failing water infrastructure is tipped off by Flint.

Beach-Garland Street - Flint River Bridge

“As Flint emerges from its current water crisis, it offers a cautionary tale to several other aging cities nationally.”

That’s the assertion from a recent Brookings article that says old and decaying water infrastructure in the U.S. will require $1-trillion in repairs over the next 25 years. The article also says water quality is slowly slipping throughout the nation because of the old systems, and Flint serves as a stark example of how a public utility can go from acceptable to devastating in the blink of an eye. Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson is joined by Joe Kane, senior policy and research assistant with the Brookings Institute. Kane discusses the national story of a county’s aging infrastructure. 

 

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