GPRS launches new safety initiative to address aging water, wastewater infrastructure
(UI) — Ground Penetrating Radar Systems LLC (GPRS) has announced a new safety initiative designed to help municipalities and facilities regain control of their water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure. Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week (WSDAW) will run Oct. 23-27, 2023.
GPRS water safety professionals will spend the week traveling the country to give free WSDAW safety presentations to government officials, facility managers, and other individuals and entities in charge of water and wastewater systems.
Additional safety information will also be shared throughout the week on both the GPRS and WSDAW LinkedIn pages.
Jason Schaff, senior vice president of marketing and SiteMap product executive at GPRS, emphasizes the pivotal role of the Water and Wastewater Systems Data Analytics Workshop (WSDAW) in empowering organizations to regain control over their water and wastewater systems. WSDAW addresses critical challenges within the industry, including the daily loss of six billion gallons of water in the U.S. due to defective subsurface water infrastructure, known as non-revenue water (NRW). This results in an annual loss of $2 billion as valuable water resources seep into the soil or waterways. Moreover, the U.S. grapples with approximately 70,000 sanitary sewer overflows each year, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure improvement.
In addition to these challenges, the average sewer pipe in the U.S. is 45 years old and operates at 81% capacity, underscoring the pressing demand for modernizing these systems. Furthermore, the 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card awarded the United States' infrastructure a grade of C-. This underscores the critical need for innovative solutions and data-driven strategies to enhance the nation's vital water and wastewater networks.
"Infrastructure in America is in bad shape," Schaff said. "Utility infrastructure and specifically sewer infrastructure is in bad shape. Water is becoming scarcer. WSDAW is positioned to help address some of these issues with simple and practical solutions."
He continued, "Money is literally leaking out of our pipes every day. There are some great, proactive approaches that WSDAW will bring to light – not only saving money, but increasing safety and decreasing project delays."
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