Texas received a ‘C’ in its overall infrastructure report card from a national engineering society, according to a Feb. 18 press release. The organization found that aviation in the state is adequate, but other areas, such as drinking water and transit, need more attention.
The American Society of Civil Engineers, an organization that sets standards for the profession, evaluates the overall infrastructure of the nation and individual states every four years, according to its website. In comparison to its 2021 evaluation, the state of Texas improved some areas of its Infrastructure Texas Report Card score, but its infrastructure still “requires attention,” according to the current report.
Since 2021, Texas’ aviation score has increased from a ‘B-’ to a ‘B’ in aviation, which means it is “adequate for now.” Austin Messerli, co-chair of the 2025 report card, said the state improved in this category thanks to expansion projects that enhanced airport capacity.
“Infrastructure is the backbone of our everyday lives,” Messerli said. “We want to make sure that (it) not only keeps at the current rate it has been, but we want to continue (improving it) in the future.”
Texas’ drinking water score worsened from a ‘C-’ to a ‘D+’ since 2021, which means the area is “at risk” of being unfit for its intended purpose. According to the report, the number of lost water gallons per day increased from almost 32 to over 34 gallons between 2021 to 2022. This, paired with aging infrastructure, affected the rating, Messerli said.
“(Those are) really two big issues,” Messerli said. “We’re treating this drinking water that we paid for, but it never actually reaches where it’s supposed to go.”
Another factor affecting drinking water quality is states’ ability to regulate the amount of lead found in water, according to the report. Texas adopted a lead ban in 1988, but 35.7% of housing units in the state were built after the state implemented the rule, meaning most residences have pipes needing replacement. David Eaton, a natural resources policy studies professor, said lead pipes can cause cross-contamination.
“You could have infiltration of bacteria or other things through the distribution system,” Eaton said.
Texas received a ‘D+’ from the organization for transit. Some major cities, including Austin, expanded their transit systems with new bus routes and extended light rail lines. However, traffic safety incidents increased by over 300 in metropolitan areas from 2019 to 2023, according to the report.
To improve its deficient areas, the organization recommended Texas adopt regulations enhancing safety and removing risk when building infrastructure, according to a summarized version of the report. Messerli said residents should also be aware of the challenges shown in the report and promote dialogue to make changes within infrastructure systems.
“Having those conversations in everyday life and with policymakers on the local and state level are important,” Messerli said. “There is (an) improvement that can be done, and we need to be part of that.”