On Tuesday, March 6, 2018, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2018 Michigan Infrastructure Report Card.
It’s not a surprise that Michigan’s roads were given a poor grade, a D- (I wonder what it takes to get an F?). In addition to roads, several other infrastructure categories were rated poorly. Among those were drinking water, stormwater, and schools. Wastewater facilities received a C.
Roads
Regarding Michigan’s roads, a 2016 assessment shows that 39 percent of Michigan’s 120,000 miles of paved roadways are rated in poor condition. A road-funding package was signed into law in 2015 to assist state and local governments in completing transportation projects, but there is still a gap in funding needed to address the deterioration. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the situation has not improved since then, and recent efforts will fall short of the type of change we need.
Drinking Water
Michigan’s drinking water system is aging. At the state level, there is a lack of planning for drinking water improvement and replacement projects which results in a lack of funding for local municipalities. It’s estimated that Michigan’s drinking water systems are underfunded by about $284-$563 million each year. All of this sums up to the drinking water grade of D.
Stormwater
Stormwater facilities-infrastructure that provides protection from localized flooding and also works to improve the quality of the region’s water resources-received a D- grade. Without a funding source dedicated to this sector of infrastructure, these challenges will continue to increase. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Stormwater, Asset Management, and Wastewater (SAW) Grant funding helped many communities take a deeper look at their stormwater and wastewater collection systems. The SAW program helped to shine a light on the disrepair many of these stormwater systems are experiencing.
Wastewater
Coming in with a grade of C, wastewater facilities in the state did better than their underground infrastructure counterparts. Similar to stormwater, the SAW program allowed for condition assessment and realistic capital improvement planning. Although this grant funding only allowed for an understanding of the system, it didn’t provide capital for the necessary treatment and conveyance system repairs. A 2012 EPA Clean Water Needs Survey estimates that approximately $1.4 billion is needed to cover these necessary treatment and conveyance improvements.
Education
Michigan’s schools received a rating of D+. Education facilities within the state vary widely, but just about every district has aging facilities. There are inherent challenges associated with access to varying financing mechanisms for school improvements. Paying for school buildings in Michigan is completely dependent on property-tax-based bonds for new facilities or renovating old ones. According to SEMCOG’s latest studies, the region is in the middle of a 25 percent overall decline in the number of school-age children. Although this population should stabilize in approximately 10 years, in the near future we could see further closure of school buildings. The long-term outlook for our region’s educational institutions will also depend upon future demographic trends, which are expected to involve a growing population of seniors. These numbers can be explored in SEMCOG’s Regional Forecast.
2045 Regional Development Forecast Explorer
The takeaway
Each grading category obviously shows an opportunity for improvement. Our state’s institutions and infrastructure systems are aging, and years of underinvestment are taking their toll. It’s evident now more than ever that the state should be taking a comprehensive look at infrastructure. Tackling these varying infrastructure issues with a holistic asset management approach will help the limited funds go further. The full ASCE report card can be found here.
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