Articles by: WFM Staff

Biden signs COVID stimulus including water affordability program funding

Biden signs COVID stimulus including water affordability program funding

President Joe Biden on Friday signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act, legislation to deliver additional COVID-19 relief that contains $500 million in assistance for low-income clean water customers and support for critical water and sewer investments. This water assistance funding comes in addition toRead More

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sign stands at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015. Financing for the DHS is set to lapse after Friday and the agency would face a partial shutdown unless Congress provides new money. More than 200,000 government employees deemed essential at DHS, including Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, would still have to report to their posts, even though their pay would stop unless Congress finds a solution. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

DHS announces funding for $1.87 billion in preparedness grants

Water Management March 8, 2021 at 9:19 am

In February, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the release of the funding notice for eight different types of preparedness grants worth nearly $1.87 billion. Together, these programs provide more than $1.8 billion in critical funding to assist our state and local partnersRead More

Raftelis hires new chief economist

Raftelis hires new chief economist

Rates & Affordability, Water Finance March 8, 2021 at 6:55 am

Steven McDonald has joined Raftelis as our Chief Economist to lead our new valuation and economic impact analysis services. He was formerly with CSG Economics at GAI Consultants. Valuation services and economic impact analyses have been top of mind for many Raftelis clients as theyRead More

U.S. infrastructure receives C- grade on ASCE’s 2021 report card

U.S. infrastructure receives C- grade on ASCE’s 2021 report card

Washington Report, Water Finance, Water Management March 3, 2021 at 12:44 pm

Last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, giving overall infrastructure in the United States a cumulative grade of C-. Although the report card finds the country is spending just over half of what is needed, it’s theRead More

Water sector applauds House leadership for affordability program boost

Water sector applauds House leadership for affordability program boost

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act, legislation to deliver additional COVID-19 relief that contains $500 million for low-income water utility bill assistance. This new funding for low-income water assistance comes in addition to the initial $638 million provided inRead More

Innovyze to be acquired by Autodesk

Innovyze to be acquired by Autodesk

Water Management March 1, 2021 at 9:36 am

Autodesk, Inc. has announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Portland, Oregon-based Innovyze, Inc., a provider of water infrastructure software, for $1 billion net of cash subject to working capital and tax closing adjustments. The acquisition positions Autodesk as a technology leader in end-to-end water infrastructure solutions fromRead More

Cincinnati’s Bailey, Xylem recipients of AWWA’s diversity awards

Cincinnati’s Bailey, Xylem recipients of AWWA’s diversity awards

Water Management March 1, 2021 at 6:07 am

The 2021 recipients of the American Water Works Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Award are Cathy Bailey (individual award winner) and Xylem (organizational award winner). The awards recognize an individual, group or organization that has created and maintained diversity and inclusion by establishing an environment thatRead More

WEF survey estimates stormwater sector’s annual funding gap

WEF survey estimates stormwater sector’s annual funding gap

Water Finance February 26, 2021 at 10:33 am

The U.S. stormwater sector faces an estimated $8.5 billion annual funding gap, according to a survey by the Water Environment Federation (WEF). The funding shortfall exists as municipalities nationwide work to maintain water infrastructure, control pollution in waterways, and protect communities from flooding. The fundingRead More

A Deluge of Big Data – The Connected Water Utility

A Deluge of Big Data – The Connected Water Utility

Water Management, White Papers February 24, 2021 at 1:14 pm

Water industry professionals are experiencing a data deluge. There’s a lot of data out there, gathered from sensors monitoring everything from water quality to pipe bursts — but altogether, it’s too much data divided among too many silos to make sense of what it allRead More

Millions still without safe drinking water in Texas

Millions still without safe drinking water in Texas

Water Management February 22, 2021 at 9:10 am

More than 8 million Texans still did not have access to safe drinking water as of Sunday night, according to multiple media reports and an update from the state Commission on Environmental Quality. Stemming from last week’s record low temperatures and severe winter weather acrossRead More