Articles by: Contributing Author

By John Ryan Stakeholders of the U.S. EPA WIFIA loan program will recall that the program ran into a serious-sounding issue about correct budgeting a few years ago. The issue arises when a WIFIA loan is made to an infrastructure project that has some degreeRead More

A split second: that’s all it takes for calm to turn into calamity. On Dec. 10, 2021, residents of Mayfield, Kentucky, settled into their homes, unaware of the destruction headed their way. In just three minutes, a devastating tornado touched down, claiming 22 lives andRead More

By Rebecca Zito Effective community engagement has become a crucial part of water utility operations. Because public expectations have changed dramatically, the silent utility provider is an outdated concept. Communities now demand more from their utility. Modern technology and convenience have forever altered the wayRead More

Several critical initiatives are facing the U.S. water utility sector including pipe repair and replacement, funding, long-term water supply, workforce issues, cybersecurity and emergency planning. It’s a mix of challenges affecting both daily operations and future threats more indicative of the modern era. They willRead More

By John Ryan The EPA’s WIFIA loan program offers several interest rate management features that are highly beneficial for large-scale infrastructure financings, including a U.S. Treasury-based fixed-rate lock for construction and permanent drawdowns, post-execution rate resets until draw, and no-penalty cancellation and prepayment. All areRead More

Located about a hundred miles east of Shreveport, the city of Monroe, Louisiana, is home to nearly 50,000 people. Owing to its humid, subtropical climate, Monroe experiences its share of extreme weather; heavy rainfall, hail and even tornados are not uncommon. But freezing temperatures areRead More

By Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells October marked five decades since leaders came together to make a monumental change, impacting our daily lives ever since. And no, I’m not talking about the 50 years that my agency, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, has been protecting public healthRead More

By Brian Redder The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to execute actions outlined in its PFAS Strategic Roadmap, released in October 2021, to address issues related to PFAS contamination. Drinking water and wastewater utilities have played no role in producing, using or profiting fromRead More

By Dennis Pidherny & Audra Dickinson U.S. water utilities fared remarkably well during the coronavirus pandemic and appear to be withstanding the effects of inflation on operations and capital spending thus far. This is not to say the sector hasn’t struggled. Operating costs are upRead More

By Quinn Jackson-Elliott Despite a decades-long fight against water loss, utilities still face an uphill battle to account for water that is pumped but not billed. The struggle with non-revenue water (NRW) isn’t getting any easier, either, as drought conditions continue to put increasing pressureRead More