Guest Columns

In a letter to President-elect Joe Biden last week, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) urged the incoming administration to prioritize COVID-19 relief for water utilities and investment for the overall water infrastructure sector. The letter, authored by association president Melissa Elliott, cites AWWA research thatRead More

The U.S. EPA’s water infrastructure financing programs would be in line for approximately level funding next year under a plan for FY21 appropriations released by Senate Republicans last week. The funding proposal is detailed in the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’ (AMWA) Nov. 16 Monday Morning Briefing. The Republicans’ proposal wouldRead More

The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies released an update in it’s Monday Morning Briefing today noting that a thinly divided Congress could result in a complex policy landscape on many issues including water and infrastructure. Voters across the country delivered somewhat mixed messages on ElectionRead 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

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a pared-down version of the HEROES Act, the chamber’s previous COVID-19 relief package. The legislation contains $1.5 billion in aid to water and sewer utilities to help low-income ratepayers during the pandemic. The new version of the HEROES billRead 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

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans at events in Oceanside, Calif. and Salt Lake City, Utah. EPA’s 27th and 28th WIFIA loans will provide more than $415 million to help the local communities financeRead 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 Mike Keegan After withstanding numerous preemptive judicial challenges, the Trump administration’s version of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) went into effect on June 22. The Trump rule circumscribed the federal regulatory power over U.S. waters compared to the 2015 Obama administration’s ruleRead More

In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to reduce lead in plumbing materials used in public water systems, homes, schools and other facilities. The agency says the action marks a significant milestone in implementing the Trump Administration’s Federal Action PlanRead More