Pub. 3 2020-21 Issue 2

35 To raise the grade on stormwater, Utah needs to: • provide long-term funding strategies for inspection and maintenance of storm drains across the state at the municipal level. This funding should also provide funding for asset management systems and period inspections • create methods of funding long- term replacement of storm drain infrastructure above capital improvement programs • update hydrology and hydraulic analyses to incorporate the impact of urbanization and climate change on existing systems during future master plan activities. • provide consistent, repeating state level funding or additional loan opportunities for municipalities that function on resource limited budgets Transit: B+ Over the past 30 years, transit networks in Utah have significantly improved. Currently, there are over 100 miles of fixed guideway services and over 48 million annual riders, up an additional two million in the last five years. While these transit improvements have made the system more convenient and user- friendly, there are still pressing needs for system enhancement, expansion, and financial stabilization. Sales taxes from local service districts support 65% of the transit system’s funding, with the remainder coming from federal sources. Recent innovations, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, provide increased and consistent service without requiring extensive infrastructure additions. Bus Rapid Transit systems combine bus fleets with dedicated lanes to create a system similar to a light rail or a metro system without the large infrastructure cost. One of the greatest challenges facing transit statewide is funding. Federal funding sources including federal preventative maintenance, federal grants, federal planning assistance, and preventative maintenance grants for capital expenses have been decreasing in recent years and show no sign of returning to previous levels. As of 2019, UTA’s annual budget was $456.8 million, with the sales taxes in the service district providing the largest funding portion of 65%. The rest of the funding is covered through federal funding, passenger fares, and advertising revenue. To raise the transit grade, Utah needs to: • locate additional funding sources to increase the regularity and improve the accessibility of service to both urban and rural users. Wastewater: C Wastewater infrastructure systems in Utah are meeting baseline technology limits, but new nutrient regulations and an increasing population are requiring older facilities to implement costly upgrades. Estimates project $15 billion in funding will be required over the next 40 years to meet water quality standards. Issues impacting the public safety are emerging and have not been addressed due to lack of permanent and adequate funding mechanisms. Drought can cause groundwater levels to drop, allowing wastewater to leak out of sewers (exfiltrate), degrading groundwater quality. Also, there is a need to supplement drinking water supplies in arid climates and nontraditional sources of purified water, including wastewater recycling. To address the wastewater issues, the state needs to: • continue to implement condition and performance assessments • expand asset management and maintenance management programs • focus on extending the life cycle of infrastructure in keeping with the goals of the ASCE Grand Challenge • communicate the value of wastewater infrastructure to our community, policymakers and legislators • identify opportunities to improve efficiencies, including administrative and bureaucratic systems, management, engineering, construction, and operations and maintenance • seek increased funding for infrastructure improvements to keep Utah’s water healthy 3 For more information and to read the entire report go here: https://infrastructurereportcard. org/state-item/utah/