The Texas chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has given infrastructure in their state an overall grade of ‘C’ this year, meaning it’s mediocre and requires attention.
They urged continued investment and better planning in the state, which is the second most populous in the US after California.
The overall grade combines grades for 16 categories of infrastructure from aviation to wastewater, and most categories concerning water scraped through with ‘D’ grades, meaning they’re poor and at risk.
They include drinking water (D+), levees (D-), and wastewater (D-). Stormwater got a C-.
ASCE said drinking water (down from C- in 2021) and wastewater (down from D in 2021) systems were struggling to meet demands as they age and as funding fails to match current and future needs.
Engineers noted that winter storms in early 2021 caused 40% of water utilities to issue boil-water notices.
Of the 16 categories, only aviation and roads saw grade increases since the last report in 2021.
Six – drinking water, energy, levees, solid waste, transit, and wastewater – saw grade decreases.
ASCE said funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and state and local initiatives helped improve or maintain conditions in the transportation sector, with aviation (B) and roads (C-) improving, while bridges (B-) remains one of the highest-performing categories.
The association urged continued investment in Texas infrastructure through grant programs and low interest loans, adopting appropriate fees with rate reviews, and by investing in technology research for better efficiency.
It also recommended policy and standards development, and better asset management and planning.
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