Oct 19, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Water main break causes widespread outages in Charlotte

Photo of skyscrapers in Charlotte, North Carolina

Photo: Logan Cyrus/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A water main break in Charlotte, North Carolina, led to widespread outages in multiple ZIP codes on Monday, including the city's airport.

Why it matters: The outages come amid slow-going negotiations over legislation that would bolster funding for critical infrastructure projects.

Details: Charlotte Douglas International Airport has asked airlines to instruct passengers to use the restroom on the aircraft prior to arrival.

Though Charlotte Water is working to resolve the issue, locals should "[e]xpect low-to-no water pressure throughout the evening," Charlotte Water spokesperson Cam Coley said in an email to Axios Charlotte.

The big picture: Charlotte isn't the only city to have had infrastructure failures.

Worth noting: In its 2021 report card on U.S. infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated that an "infrastructure investment gap" could cost the nation $10 trillion in lost GDP by 2039 if left unaddressed.

What to watch: President Biden will host two separate meetings with moderate and progressive House members on Tuesday; the two factions are still far apart on key provisions.

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