Articles by: Contributing Author

Where Do Major Reform Efforts Stand Following Pruitt’s Exit from EPA?

Where Do Major Reform Efforts Stand Following Pruitt’s Exit from EPA?

Washington Report August 22, 2018 at 7:00 am

By Mike Keegan On July 5, President Donald Trump tweeted that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt had resigned from his position as the head of the agency. The acting administrator is now Andrew Wheeler, who previously served as deputy administrator. Wheeler hasRead More

Is Supply Management in Your Mission Statement? …Maybe It Should Be.

Is Supply Management in Your Mission Statement? …Maybe It Should Be.

Public Utility Finance, Water Management August 22, 2018 at 6:30 am

By Jim Baehr There’s no doubt that articulating the vision and mission of your water utility is necessary. They communicate your core purpose – your brand – the utility’s fundamental reason for being. Building a brand on ‘purpose’ is becoming more and more important. It’sRead More

Harnessing Data Science to Solve Apparent Loss

Harnessing Data Science to Solve Apparent Loss

AMR/AMI, Water Loss, Water Management August 20, 2018 at 8:52 am

By Janani Mohanakrishnan, Christine Boyle & James Poff Every day, U.S. water utilities lose an estimated six billion gallons of water, or 30 percent of the water they provide, through non-revenue water loss. The water loss can be attributed to main leaks and storage tankRead More

The Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant, located 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, California, has expanded its Advanced Water Purification Facility to include an indirect potable reuse system.

Making the Case for Recycled Water

Water Management August 20, 2018 at 8:42 am

By Ron Askin Recycled water, or water reuse, is gaining traction amongst consumers, governments and industry as communities across the world struggle with rapid population growth and persistent drought, challenging their ability to secure sustainable access to clean drinking water. Within the last year, media reportingRead More

Value for Money…and Beyond

Value for Money…and Beyond

New Financing Options Demand New Evaluation Tools By Mike Matichich Water agencies are faced with a widening array of delivery and finance options for their major capital programs. That is good news, as the industry likely will need everything from the U.S. EPA’s relatively new WIFIARead More

AMWA: The Time Is Now for Congress to Recommit to WIFIA

AMWA: The Time Is Now for Congress to Recommit to WIFIA

Washington Report, Water Finance June 20, 2018 at 9:47 am

By Diane VanDe Hei Washington has heard a lot of talk over the past year about the need to address the nation’s aging infrastructure, but there has been little agreement among Democrats and Republicans about how to go about it. However, a program created by CongressRead More

Examining Legal Considerations in Funding Customer Assistance Programs

Examining Legal Considerations in Funding Customer Assistance Programs

Rates & Affordability, Water Finance June 20, 2018 at 9:00 am

By Alyse Greenberg As water utilities work to upgrade aging infrastructure, address changes in water supply and demand, and meet regulatory requirements, many of the increased costs are passed through to customers. Increased rates mean that more utility customers may face difficulties in paying their bills.Read More

Sharing the Risks and Rewards

Sharing the Risks and Rewards

Water Finance June 18, 2018 at 11:45 am

Could the ‘Pay for Success’ Model of Environmental Impact Bonds Be the Future of Water Infrastructure Financing? By Eric Letsinger My wife and I have typically shied away from hobbies that could put me in a position of having to fix things that might break —Read More

The Water Main Report Card

The Water Main Report Card

By Steven Folkman Most water professionals are well aware that in 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) issued its Infrastructure Report Card and gave a D- to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. In a small sign of improvement, the 2013 ASCE Report CardRead More

What Is a Water Utility in a Digital World?

What Is a Water Utility in a Digital World?

How Digital Technology Can Be the Fundamental Agent of Change in the Modernization of Global Water Infrastructure By Gigi Karmous-Edwards & Will Sarni Global water infrastructure is underfunded. It is in need of repair, replacement and expansion to ensure access to water for sustained economicRead More