Journalists have an expression: MEGO, meaning My Eyes Glaze Over. It stands for worthy and important subjects that people regard as too dull to think about. Water supply seems to be the essence of MEGO. Fixing urban networks is so expensive, time-consuming, and invisible to the public that governments historically have been unwilling to pay attention unless forced by disaster.
Growing demand, increasingly severe droughts, and, above all, aging infrastructure are testing their limits. Almost half a million miles of pipe in North America is nearing the end of its useful life and will need to be replaced soon. Equally in need of upgrades are the thousands of treatment plants built in the 1970s.… History suggests that the systems will not be maintained until there are several disasters. But the disasters could be avoided if voters understood the importance of their water supply, and made clean water a priority.