Thousands of Atlanta residents were left without water due to a recent water main break, but the issue of aging infrastructure is widespread. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that a water main break occurs every two minutes in the U.S.

In the latest episode of Generating Buzz, civil and environmental engineering Professor Susan Burns explains how, as most of the country’s 2.2 million miles of pipes near the end of their lifespan, inaction could be costly. She discusses barriers to funding and the challenges in planning future projects.