Guest Columns

Last month, Dr. Peter Grevatt, director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW), announced his retirement from the agency after more than 30 years of service. Grevatt first joined EPA’s Office of Water in 2002 as the Acting DirectorRead More

By Mike Russin The jobs report may show the unemployment rate at a rare low, but one industry has been struggling to hire for several years now. Municipalities are facing a workforce gap as Baby Boomers continue to enter retirement — and the jobs availableRead More

America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday. The U.S. water infrastructure sector is lauding it as an important step forward in the nation’s efforts to fund the renewal of aging water infrastructure. The measure movedRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is honoring 20 water utilities, manufacturers, builders and organizations for protecting the environment by creating and promoting WaterSense-labeled fixtures, homes and programs. EPA’s WaterSense partners have helped Americans save more than 2.7 trillion gallons of water and $63.8 billionRead More

On Thursday, President Donald Trump voiced his desire for America to have “clean water” during a campaign-style rally in Rochester, Minnesota. Despite several calls for infrastructure investment since being elected, the president – similar to past presidents – rarely addresses drinking water or wastewater issues,Read More

Commissioners at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) have announced the selection of Arthur A. Elkins, Jr., as inspector general. Since 2010, Elkins has served as inspector general for both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.Read More

The House of Representatives unanimously approved a significant water policy bill that includes a number of industry priorities on drinking water and other provisions impacting water infrastructure funding. America’s Water Infrastructure Act, bill S. 3021, combines two versions of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation developedRead More

Asset management can be a gradual process, but condition assessment requires more than a superficial scan of system components. News media report the big infrastructure failures. Whether we manage water systems or tap into them, we hear about major water main breaks, tunnel collapses andRead More

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

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program has received a record 62 letters of interest requesting $9.1 billion in credit assistance. “The more than $9 billion in WIFIA loans requested is nearly double ourRead More