I’ll expose the darkest secrets about the US water infrastructure.
Every 2 minutes, a water main breaks in America, with 6 BILLION gallons of clean water LOST daily.
This crisis is worse than ever.
Since the media won’t tell you, here’s how our system got so BROKEN: 🧵
In 1977, the federal government funded 75% of water infrastructure projects.
Today? Just 9%.
This collapse in funding created the perfect storm for entrepreneurial disruption.
But to understand the opportunity, you need to see how we got here...
America has 2.2 million miles of water pipes.
The median age? 45 years old.
Some pipes still in use date back to the 1800s.
Every mile costs $1 MILLION to replace.
Do the math: that's $2.2 trillion just for pipes alone.
Unlike roads and bridges funded by federal taxes, water infrastructure relies on 50,000+ local utilities.
And 90% of their revenue comes from YOUR water bill.
No wonder rates have risen TWICE the rate of inflation since 2000.
The turning point came in 1987.
Congress stopped giving grants and started offering loans.
Communities that once received 75% federal funding suddenly had to pay everything back.
Small towns couldn’t afford upgrades.
The infrastructure time bomb started ticking...
Between 1977–2017, federal water spending dropped 69%.
Local governments spent 70% more just maintaining old systems instead of upgrading them.
A vicious cycle began:
• Aging pipes break more
• Repairs cost more
• Bills rise faster
• Less money for real fixes
Today’s reality is staggering:
• 240,000 water main breaks every year
• Median age of U.S. dams: 57 years
• EPA says we need $472 BILLION in upgrades
• Biden’s infrastructure bill? Only $55 billion
That leaves a $417 BILLION gap.
But here’s what everyone misses...
When centralized systems fail, decentralized solutions create fortunes.
Just like Uber disrupted taxis when cities couldn’t manage transportation…
The same pattern is happening with water RIGHT NOW.
Think about it:
In Flint, Jackson, Houston—whenever water systems failed—communities turned to local solutions.
• Mobile treatment units
• Modular systems
• Decentralized infrastructure
The old monopoly model is breaking. Fast.
So as a recap:
• Federal dollars have all but vanished
• Pipes are collapsing faster than cities can fix them
• New tech makes water treatment mobile and modular
• Regulators are finally approving decentralized systems
But Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer was importing 90% of its refined fuel.
Dangote saw what others missed:
The numbers were staggering:
• 650,000 barrels per day capacity
• Larger than all US refineries built in 30 years
• 4,500 football fields in size
• Would process 15% of Africa's oil
Cost estimate: $9 billion.
Actual cost: $23 BILLION.