Articles by: Contributing Author

By Ian Lancaster & Katie Cason The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic volatility cast a blanket of uncertainty over many industries, causing key stakeholders — from investors to business leaders — to assess the shifting landscape and long-term implications for various sectors. For the water/wastewater infrastructure sector,Read More

By Jeff McCracken Non-revenue water loss is among the biggest challenges facing the water industry and the world. Nearly one-third of all water, amounting to $39 billion annually, is lost before it ever reaches a customer, according to a report from Frost & Sullivan. Water scarcityRead More

By Travis Smith It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the water industry. Revenue shortfalls from a decline in commercial and industrial water use and some residential customers struggling to pay bills are affecting utilities across the country. The service must goRead More

By Keith Oldewurtel In the United States, water and wastewater utilities are managing many challenges, with the EPA estimating that addressing the nation’s water infrastructure needs will cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next several decades. Faced with increasing water quality initiatives, limitedRead More

By L. Gregg Horn A recent hydraulic flow test on a 97-year-old distribution main demonstrated the longevity of cement-mortar lined (CML) iron pipe, and the consistent flow efficiency that translates into pumping cost savings. With energy costs among the higher factors of consideration in waterRead More

By John Ryan The WIFIA Loan Program recently announced that it has reset the interest rates on two undrawn loan commitments originally made in mid-2018. The fixed rate on a $135 million loan to Orange County Water District and a $614 million loan to SanRead More

Economic gains are possible when investors with different strengths and preferences are combined in a single financing. It’s happening at the WIFIA loan program. By John Ryan The WIFIA loan program makes long-term loans for qualified projects at the U.S. Treasury’s interest rate. Since debtRead More

By Josh Ellis & Dan Cooper Even before COVID-19 hit our country, water affordability has been a growing concern. From 2010 to 2019, the price of water service increased by 57 percent in 30 major U.S. cities. Meanwhile, millions of Americans have their water shutoff everyRead More

By Bently Green, Robert Knecht & Scott Morgan Memphis is a city of highs and lows, like the sharps and flats in the blues for which the southern U.S. city is famous. Lows like the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and highs like introducing Elvis Presley,Read More

By Doug Hatler The first three industrial revolutions transformed our modern society with mechanization, mass production and digital technology. The world around us fundamentally changed. The fourth industrial revolution is now upon us. Industry 4.0, as it is called, will transform modern society and economiesRead More