Articles by: WFM Staff

‘Intelligent water’ could save U.S water utilities $17.6 billion, report says

‘Intelligent water’ could save U.S water utilities $17.6 billion, report says

According to a new report by Arcadis and Bluefield Research, intelligent water can address two of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. water utility sector today: affordability and resilience. “The research indicates that only 21 percent of utilities feel they are fully able to cover costs ofRead More

Market Value concept on the gearwheels, 3D rendering

NAWC applauds Texas’ passage of fair market value legislation

Passage of Fair Market Value legislation in Texas will benefit the state’s customers, water and wastewater systems, and municipalities, according to the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC). Fair Market Value legislation is a proven method that allows municipalities to gain access to the resourcesRead More

Communicating the Value of Water: The ABCS of Water Communication

Communicating the Value of Water: The ABCS of Water Communication

Water Management June 17, 2019 at 8:59 am

By Stephanie Zavala Water is life. It’s a catchy slogan, so simple in its truth that we often miss the forest for the trees. Water is, quite literally, life. Yet modern-day water treatment, distribution infrastructure, and operational systems have made the gift of water soRead More

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES: Digital Twin Technology Becoming a Reality for Water Utilities

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES: Digital Twin Technology Becoming a Reality for Water Utilities

Technology Perspectives June 17, 2019 at 8:43 am

By Gigi Karmous-Edwards Water utilities around the world have been using hydraulic models for engineering and expansion since the 1950s. A hydraulic model is a physics based mathematical model of a fluid flow system for water. In the majority of cases, the hydraulic model simulationRead More

NACWA’s StratComm shines spotlight on utility communication and outreach

NACWA’s StratComm shines spotlight on utility communication and outreach

Water Management June 13, 2019 at 9:03 am

On June 3-4, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) hosted its third annual Strategic Communications:H2O (StratComm) conference in Cleveland, Ohio, highlighting outreach and communication in the U.S. water and wastewater utility sector. The conference drew more than 120 national participants, the most soRead More

Bill introduced to restore advanced refunding of municipal bonds

Bill introduced to restore advanced refunding of municipal bonds

U.S. House Representatives Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) and Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) — co-chairs of the bipartisan House Municipal Finance Caucus — introduced The Investing in Our Communities Act (H.R. 2772) in May, which would amend the federal tax code to reinstate the option for a single advance refundingRead More

New report highlights acquisition trends in the U.S. water market

New report highlights acquisition trends in the U.S. water market

Private Financing / P3s, Water Management June 10, 2019 at 5:13 am

The U.S. municipal water landscape is undergoing a transformation as critical infrastructure services — water, gas, and electricity — converge under single investor-owned utility banners. This trend is highlighted by the growing roster of diversified infrastructure service providers owning water and wastewater utilities in theRead More

Echologics lands condition assessment contract with SES Water

Echologics lands condition assessment contract with SES Water

Echologics, a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products, Inc., will begin what the company calls one of the largest water pipe condition assessment projects in Europe with SES Water in the U.K. this month. Following completion of a successful initial trial with SES Water in 2018,Read More

XPV invests in smart meter company

XPV invests in smart meter company

AMR/AMI, Water Loss, Water Management June 7, 2019 at 8:32 am

XPV Water Partners, a water sector growth equity investor, has announced it has invested in Metron-Farnier, a company that offers a line of high-performance residential and commercial water meters augmented with smart meter technologies. With installations throughout the United States, Metron-Farnier smart metering solutions areRead More

Water sector groups propose new affordability metric

Water sector groups propose new affordability metric

Rates & Affordability June 5, 2019 at 1:21 pm

The American Water Works Association, National Association of Clean Water Agencies and Water Environment Federation have together produced a report that proposes a new approach for assessing community and household affordability for water services. The report, “Developing a New Framework for Household Affordability and Financial Capability AssessmentRead More