91    ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE:
PROBLEMS AND NEEDS
Marcia H. Bates, Associate Professor
School of Civil Engineering
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078
Stephen P. Shelton, Professor
Civil Engineering Department
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131
INTRODUCTION
Infrastructure represents the basic life support systems of society and their relationships to one
another, and, as such, it is one of the nation's most important assets. Environmental infrastructure
includes a wide variety of public services such as water supply, water and wastewater treatment, air
pollution control, and solid and hazardous waste treatment and disposal. The failure of any environmental infrastructure is potentially harmful to a wide segment of society and may have far reaching
ramifications. A contributing factor to the failure of many ancient societies was their inability to deal
with the byproducts of their growth; for example, often disease occurred because of improper use of
the land, improper use of the water, or both. Generally, societies have risen and failed in direct
relationship to the intelligent use of their resources.
In the 1980's, the United States is faced with a massive need to plan and construct new infrastructure and to repair and maintain existing structures. The increasing needs of a growing society coupled
with a previous "out of sight, out of mind" attitude have created an exorbitant demand for efficient,
workable environmental facilities. Engineers of the 1980's and 1990's will truly be challenged by the
task of repairing problems posed by today's deteriorating infrastructure.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
The technical infrastructure issues facing environmental engineers encompass several facets of the
environment, including water, air, and solid waste. Identifying and characterizing these issues is
prerequisite to developing appropriate, effective solutions.
Water supply needs are both quantitative and qualitative with water shortages resulting from
depleted and/or contaminated sources. Sixty percent of the United States receives only 25% of the
country's annual rainfall. This uneven distribution of precipitation, coupled with a growing population and increased emphasis on enhanced agricultural productivity, has prompted overpumping of
aquifers in the west and southwest. The Ogallalah aquifer, which extends from South Dakota through
Texas, is being reduced by 14 million acre-feet per year with recharge approximating only 3 million
acre-feet annually. Part of the aquifer is already depleted, and experts warn of even greater depletion
in the next century. Houston, Texas is sinking because of overpumping, and the rapid use of groundwater in Florida is causing massive sinkholes. The limited availability of water is obviously a problem,
and increasing water supplies is the prime objective of the south central and western regions of the
United States [1].
In other areas of the country, water supplies are plentiful but contaminated so their use is limited.
Trichloroethylene (TCE) has been detected in ground waters from the east coast to the west coast. In
Florida, New Jersey, and Louisiana, salt water intrusion is limiting the beneficial use of ground water
that was formerly salt-free. Both surface and ground waters across the United States are characterized
by the presence of one or more priority pollutants; also, acid rainfall, coupled with the atmospheric
deposition of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other pollutants, is rendering
water supplies potentially dangerous. Protecting water supplies is the major objective of the northeast
and midwest regions of the United States [1].
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