The South’s aging water infrastructure is getting pounded by climate change – fixing it is also a struggle

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Jonathan Fisk, Auburn University; John C. Morris, Auburn University, and Megan E. Heim LaFrombois, Auburn University

(THE CONVERSATION) Climate change is threatening America’s water infrastructure as intensifying storms deluge communities and droughts dry up freshwater supplies in regions that aren’t prepared.

Severe storms that swept through the South in April 2024 illustrated some of the risks: In New Orleans, rain fell much faster as the city’s pumps could remove it. A water line broke during the storm near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Other communities faced power outages and...