Articles by: Contributing Author

Bridging Physical and Digital Operations at Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Utilities By Seth Johnstone The water industry is contending with three primary challenges: aging infrastructure, water stress from drought or flooding and critical water quality issues. These challenges, along with an aging utility workforce andRead More

| By Susan Bodine On Jan. 18, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Corps of Engineers published a final rule defining “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act despite the fact that a case on that issue wasRead More

Mojave Water Agency Optimizes Maintenance Activities, Realizes Cost Savings | By Tacoma Zach The Mojave Water Agency (MWA) is responsible for ensuring a stable and sustainable water supply for the High Desert region in San Bernardino County. Its projects cover a service area of approximatelyRead More

A Scathing Critique. A review of “Next Generation Compliance: Environmental Regulation for the Modern Era,” by author Cynthia Giles, published by Oxford University Press. | By G. Tracy Mehan, III Former Obama EPA enforcement chief Cynthia Giles has written a very challenging, well-documented critique ofRead More

By Theresa Bellish Worldwide, water utility managers must constantly pivot as external factors affect our water sources. Emerging contaminants like PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) and chemicals coming from illegal dumping and accidental leaks have become more prevalent as climate change causes extreme weather inRead More

Alternatives and Complementary Systems to Consider | By Peter Mayer Customer metering is fundamental to the successful function of a modern water utility. The introduction of expensive Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems with fixed data transmission networks and battery powered “smart” water meters has confrontedRead More

By John Ryan Congress certainly looks like an exciting place this fall, with plenty of political fireworks and intense drama over spending. But there’s no doubt legislators and their constituents will also want to see progress on some basic things that are clearly beneficial, aren’tRead More

By Sandra DiMatteo After decades of warning signs that climate change is happening, most people are now admitting that it is real, and it is not pretty. Droughts are getting dryer, and floods are getting wetter and more frequent. Water resources organizations are struggling toRead More

Improving Performance of the Long Tail of the Water Industry By Doug Hatler According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are more than 50,000 drinking water and wastewater utilities in operation in the United States serving a population of less than 10,000. TheseRead More

By Osvaldo Zambrano Located in the State of Illinois, Exeter-Merritt Water Cooperative delivers safe and high-quality drinking water to approximately 300 residents in the counties of Scott and Morgan. In 2011, the cooperative decided to do a phase 3 expansion and include additional homes inRead More