Meanwhile, the NRDC report claims that a July survey found that only 4% of U.S. wastewater facilities were Y2K-ready.

CNN: Water, sewage utilities not Y2K-ready

It supports municipal wastewater facilities, estuary protection projects, and nonpoint source pollution control.

FORBES: Spending Cuts Threaten U.S. Water Infrastructure

If that project takes off it could become the world's largest water-quality trading programme, spanning as many as eight states and allowing trading between 46 power plants, thousands of wastewater facilities and about 230, 000 farmers.

ECONOMIST: Nutrient pollution

For the vast Marcellus shale, the issue is whether the state's wastewater treatment facilities are adequate and can keep up with the pace of expansion in shale drilling.

WSJ: Daniel Yergin on the Shale Gas Revolution: Stepping on the Gas

Without these things, we would not have clean, drinkable water, or the ability to convey wastewater away from our homes to treatment facilities, or systems to handle the vast amounts of garbage we produce, or anything to drive on to accommodate our four-wheel lifestyles.

FORBES: 2012 is the Year America Must Get Serious About its Infrastructure

Another method, used mainly in Pennsylvania, is to simply use treatment facilities to clean up the fracking wastewater before it heads into local rivers and streams.

FORBES: 3 Thoughts On The N.Y. Fracking Ban