Greater Toronto Area water and sewer pipes are deteriorating faster than they are being repaired, and dramatic change is needed to ensure safe and reliable service, says a construction industry group.

The group notes that 20 per cent of the water mains in Toronto are more than 80 years old. Their expected lifespan is 50 to 80 years.

Two reports, commissioned by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario and released Tuesday, make numerous recommendations to improve the systems and how they are funded.

Among the recommendations in a report by Trent University economic professor Harry Kitchen, are:

• Installing meters, for water and sewer, that would tie pricing to the volume of use as well as the season or time of day - much like proposed "smart" meters for electricity consumption.
• Separating storm sewers from sanitary sewers.
• Sharing the cost for lead pipe replacement between homeowners and municipalities.
• Allowing municipalities to sell bonds to raise money.
• Increasing the use of public-private partnerships.

The report, by Tamer El-Diraby, a University of Toronto associate professor of civil engineering, says the management culture must change. The current arrangement is "marred with politics and very little policy," he says.

He urges:

• Greater accountability.
• Better sharing of knowledge and pooling of resources among municipalities.
• Tying funding to performance improvements.