DIRECTIONS: Read the passage. Then, answer the questions that follow. Centerville proudly inaugurated its first water pumping station in 1923. At the time, the water plant was state of the art. As Centerville grew, so did its water infrastructure, including a new pumping station, a network of water mains and feeder lines, and even a five-foot-diameter tunnel from McMahon Reservoir. The Centerville Water District has served the community well.
However, over the last thirty years, much of the town’s water infrastructure has grown increasingly unreliable. Many pipes were laid decades ago, and with time, any water pipe weakens and corrodes. Last year, there were sixteen serious leaks in water mains. More troubling, many neighborhood pipes laid in the 1950s and 1960s contain lead, a toxic substance that is especially dangerous to children. It’s long past time to increase the water district’s budget so that it can modernize Centerville’s aging water infrastructure.

1. What is the writer’s claim?

2. Write one piece of evidence that strongly supports the claim.