Articles by: Contributing Author

By Kyle Stevens Climate change is a pressing issue for local governments. The unpredictable nature of storm events and sea level rise has put a strain on already aging stormwater infrastructure, requiring huge investments to address the problem. Paying for these investments should not relyRead More

By Teno A. West & Jillian Jagling A method for public water system asset preservation is a multi-pronged approach, backed by the goal of ensuring that the assets are returned to the owner in good condition, working order and repair, such that the owner isRead More

By Harold Mosley A car struck a fire hydrant in the middle of the night in California, creating a massive water leak. Even before first responders were notified, a pressure sensor sent a text alert to the water utility manager, who was able to dispatchRead More

Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to a piece in the April issue discussing how innovative features of the WIFIA program can help expand SRF loan capacity. By Katy Hansen, Sridhar Vedachalam & John Ryan In 2008, Iowa state lawmakers were determined to financeRead More

By Mark T. Hessel   Property insurance coverage for water and wastewater utilities can present many challenges – for insurer and insured, alike. Accurate coverage begins with proper recording and valuation of the underlying exposures; however, property typically found in utility operations can be difficultRead More

By Will Sarni It is estimated that currently 844 million people live without clean water, and 2.3 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation, according to water.org. Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of the world’s population, and this figure is projectedRead More

Building a Smarter Water System through More than Metering By Andrew Chastain-Howley Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is a star attraction in the world of metering. Utility managers who hope for greater accountability and efficiency in customer billing may see it as a panacea. Although AMIRead More

By Sielen Namdar Traveling through the dry desert of the American west, no ponds, lakes, creeks or even puddles to be seen, you might never expect a sprawling system of thousands of miles of water supply pipelines sitting just under your feet. These pipelines areRead More

By Ashley Campbell Toxic manmade chemicals, like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 1,2,3-Tricholoropropane (TCP), are showing up in water systems across the US. It’s not new, but it has become more common, as municipalities are now increasing mandatory testing due to new state andRead More

By Rachael Olson Water utilities are rightly concerned about managing their business through the course of winter 2021 and into the hot summer months. This is especially true as the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic keep some of their customers’ finances suspended, just as manyRead More