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Wisconsin: A bipartisan group of governors vented Saturday about the challenges of rebuilding the nation’s aging infrastructure in a time of tight budgets and partisan paralysis in Congress. In Congress this week, a bipartisan federal bill dealing in part with transportation funding appeared to founder, a victim of both financial challenges and political pitfalls.

Massachusetts: Lawmakers are talking about ways to find more money for cities and towns to fix aging water infrastructure, and expect to introduce a finance-package proposal in September.  Now that a $500 million tax law is in place to pay for transportation infrastructure, addressing the state’s water needs is likely next on the list, according to lawmakers and an official from the trust fund that oversees clean-water and drinking-water projects.

Aging Infrastructure

New Mexico: Water levels are still dropping, aging infrastructure is being pushed to its limits and federal funding is growing more scarce. In all, the state has identified nearly 300 drinking water systems that are considered vulnerable.

Iowa: A water main break has closed northbound traffic on Fleur Drive and is expected to create bottlenecks during rush hour this evening and tomorrow morning. The break is located near Fleur Drive and Bell Avenue. It flooded the street in four to five inches of water.

Indiana: A water main break south of downtown has caused a headache for both motorists and utility crews. Crews are expected to work through the night to repair the break in the main and damage done to the street, city officials say.

New York: Utility crews are on the scene of a large water main break in New Jersey Monday. The 20-inch main broke in the area of Sip Avenue between Bergen and Summit avenues in Jersey City just after midnight, and officials hope to have the problem fixed by the end of the day.