Gloomy outlook for Iowa infrastructure conditions

A new report gives Iowa infrastructure conditions gloomy reviews.

Iowa received Ds for bridges, inland waterways and dams and scored a C- overall in the inaugural infrastructure report card released Tuesday by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The United States average score was a D+.

'We really feel there is a problem with our infrastructure,' said Joe Spradling, a professional engineer in Des Moines and president of the Iowa section of ASCE. 'We really feel with investment we can make an impact in our grades. As Iowans, we should expect As and Bs.'

The report evaluated 11 categories covering transportation, power and water controls. The report is intended to raise awareness about deteriorating resources relied on heavily but taken for granted, said Aaron Granquist, an engineer with McClure Engineering Co. of North Liberty.

'We all depend on this infrastructure to maintain a certain standard of living, but it is taken for granted until something fails,' said Granquist, an ASCE officer. 'Things are getting to a point on a lot of the categories we looked at where we are going to start to see failures that will bring this to the public consciousness. We shouldn't wait for something catastrophic to occur.'

The levee, aviation, road and wastewater systems in Iowa scored low, with each getting a C-. Rail, electrical energy and drinking water received a C or C+ and Iowa's solid waste system received the best score with a B+.

The impacts of flooding in recent years was noted in the report, posing challenges for dams, roads, levees and inundation at water plants.

'With problems we had with flooding in the recent past, I would think inland waterways and dams are the biggest issue, especially since (the Iowa Department of Natural Resources) only has two inspectors who can go out and look at dams,' Granquist said.

Concerns analyzed in the report include:

• About half of Iowa's 4,000 dams are privately-owned and no state grant or loan program exists to help with repairs or maintenance. Only 10 percent of the dams are inspected regularly and only 23 percent have emergency action plans.

• Locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River have outlived their life spans and only one of 13 can handle modern tows. Performance issues on inland waterways have spurred a shift in transportation from barges, which have proved to be safer and more environmentally friendly, to other modes such as trucks.

• One in five bridges in Iowa is considered structurally deficient.

• There is $3 billion in wastewater facility needs over the next 20 years, including repairs and expansion for urban growth.

The report also offered possible solutions:

• Increase state authority to require emergency action plans for high-hazard dams.

• Increase funding for adequate levee inspections.

• Raise the gas tax to address road and bridge needs.

• Lobby Congress for pilot programs to allow non-federal sponsors to improve, operate and maintain inland waterways and to increase the excise tax on diesel fuel from 20 cents a gallon to 30.

View the report here.