Articles by: Contributing Author

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Action for Tomorrow: New Mexico’s Unique Program for Its 50-Year Water Action Plan

By Paul Gagliardo New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham announced New Mexico’s 50-Year Water Action Plan in 2024. Climate change is threatening the precious water resource that holds immeasurable cultural, agricultural, ecological, economic and recreational value to the state. Complex issues are affecting all aspects ofRead More

Water Main Breaks & National Trends: A Broader Context

Water Main Breaks & National Trends: A Broader Context

By Greg Baird WaterOne’s journey toward resilient infrastructure through PVC adoption, discussed in Water Finance & Management’s Q4 cover story, is part of a larger national narrative. The 2025 ASCE Infrastructure Report Card assigns a C grade to the nation’s drinking water systems — unchangedRead More

Explaining the Decline in WIFIA Loan Volume: Part 2

Explaining the Decline in WIFIA Loan Volume: Part 2

Commentary, Public Utility Finance, Water Finance December 8, 2025 at 11:35 am

By John Ryan The first part of this article concluded that the most likely cause of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan program’s dramatic decline from 2022 to 2024 was displacement by two other federally subsidized sources of U.S. water infrastructure finance,Read More

Resilient Infrastructure through Informed Decisions: WaterOne’s Pipe Journey

Resilient Infrastructure through Informed Decisions: WaterOne’s Pipe Journey

Pipe Selection, Rehab & Replacement, Water Management December 8, 2025 at 10:45 am

By Shaun Pietig WaterOne is the largest water utility in Kansas, serving more than 475,000 customers across 17 cities and unincorporated areas in Johnson County. Since our founding in 1957, we’ve grown from a modest operation supplying 5 million gallons per day to a robustRead More

Commentary: PFAS’ Impact on Trenchless Construction

Commentary: PFAS’ Impact on Trenchless Construction

Rehab & Replacement, Water Management December 8, 2025 at 10:10 am

By John Moody The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent ruling on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) represents one of the most consequential regulatory shifts we have seen in decades. For those of us working in water and trenchless technology, this is not some distantRead More

Can AI Reverse Systemic Water Utility Challenges? It’s Complicated.

Can AI Reverse Systemic Water Utility Challenges? It’s Complicated.

Commentary, Technology Perspectives, Water Management November 25, 2025 at 7:05 am

By Gilad Horn Across North America, water utilities face a difficult financial and operational reality: unplanned repairs on aging infrastructure run anywhere from two to five times the cost of scheduled maintenance. And those emergency bills keep climbing as labor and materials grow more expensive.Read More

Explaining the Decline in WIFIA Loan Volume: Part 1

Explaining the Decline in WIFIA Loan Volume: Part 1

Washington Report, Water Finance November 24, 2025 at 7:35 am

By John Ryan What is happening at EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan program? The mysterious issue is not the near-complete cessation of loan closings under Trump 2.0. The reason for that is clearer: the Office of Management and Budget’s pause on federal grantsRead More

Investing in Digital Water Metering: TCO and ROI Essentials

Investing in Digital Water Metering: TCO and ROI Essentials

AMR/AMI, Water Management November 24, 2025 at 6:15 am

By Marc Bijasson In the evolving landscape of water utility management, the shift toward digital metering is no longer a question of if — but when. Yet, for many small and mid-sized utilities, investment decisions are still heavily influenced by the purchase costs. This narrowRead More

Meter Upgrade Delivers Big Savings in New Mexico

Meter Upgrade Delivers Big Savings in New Mexico

AMR/AMI, Water Loss, Water Management November 20, 2025 at 11:05 am

Water Co-op Predicts Costs, Reduces Water Loss with Metering as a Service By Maia Rodriguez When the Roosevelt County Water Co-op in eastern New Mexico evaluated its aging meter system, the findings were clear: the decades-old manual meters were no longer meeting the community’s needs.Read More

Commentary: The Future Must Be Full-Cost Pricing for Water Utilities

Commentary: The Future Must Be Full-Cost Pricing for Water Utilities

By Jason Mumm For anyone tracking the U.S. water industry – a sector encompassing both water and wastewater providers, largely managed by municipal entities – a paradox unfolds. Reports frequently highlight consistent rate increases while simultaneously detailing the alarming deterioration of vital water infrastructure. WeRead More