Water main break causes widespread outages in Charlotte
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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.
- Footage shared online appears to show water bursting into the air in massive streams next to the road.
- Several restaurants opted to close Monday night out of concern. Some local health and law enforcement facilities have also been impacted by the outages, according to the Charlotte Observer.
The big picture: Charlotte isn't the only city to have had infrastructure failures.
- Broken pumps, burst pipes and chemical shortages left millions in Texas without potable water after a winter storm devastated the state in February.
- Water-related projects topped the list of infrastructure priorities for mayors in 2019.
- The D.C. Metro pulled more than half of its rail cars out of service Sunday night rush due to safety compliance issues, Washington Post reports.
- Hundreds of structurally deficient schools in Puerto Rico remain highly vulnerable to earthquakes, per the New York Times.
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.
