Water Finance

Senate passes infrastructure bill with major SRF increases

Senate passes infrastructure bill with major SRF increases

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act after months of bipartisan negotiations between the Biden Administration and a bipartisan group of Senators. The legislative package contains $550 billion in new spending, of which $55 billion will go toward clean andRead More

Infrastructure bill moves forward in Senate

Infrastructure bill moves forward in Senate

The U.S. Senate worked into the weekend on a massive infrastructure bill that promises to spend an additional $550 billion on infrastructure over five years, including $48.4 billion focused on drinking water and wastewater programs at the U.S. EPA. As of Friday, the measure appearedRead More

Innovations in Stormwater Funding: Trip-Generation Rates

Innovations in Stormwater Funding: Trip-Generation Rates

Financial Report, Guest Columns, Water Finance July 19, 2021 at 9:15 am

By Kyle Stevens Climate change is a pressing issue for local governments. The unpredictable nature of storm events and sea level rise has put a strain on already aging stormwater infrastructure, requiring huge investments to address the problem. Paying for these investments should not relyRead More

Increasing State Revolving Fund Capacity through Leveraging

Increasing State Revolving Fund Capacity through Leveraging

Public Utility Finance, Water Finance July 9, 2021 at 8:16 am

Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to a piece in the April issue discussing how innovative features of the WIFIA program can help expand SRF loan capacity. By Katy Hansen, Sridhar Vedachalam & John Ryan In 2008, Iowa state lawmakers were determined to financeRead More

A Perspective on Public Water Sector Asset Valuation

A Perspective on Public Water Sector Asset Valuation

Public Utility Finance, Water Finance July 6, 2021 at 11:24 am

By Mark T. Hessel   Property insurance coverage for water and wastewater utilities can present many challenges – for insurer and insured, alike. Accurate coverage begins with proper recording and valuation of the underlying exposures; however, property typically found in utility operations can be difficultRead More

Biden administration, Senators agree on bipartisan infrastructure framework

Biden administration, Senators agree on bipartisan infrastructure framework

Washington Report, Water Finance June 28, 2021 at 10:11 am

The Biden administration and a bipartisan group of senators last week reached agreement on a $1.2 trillion “Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework” that could set the stage for a massive new investment in the nation’s infrastructure, according to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). According toRead More

What a Successful National Water Strategy Looks Like & Why It Matters

What a Successful National Water Strategy Looks Like & Why It Matters

Water Finance, Water Management June 23, 2021 at 1:46 pm

By Will Sarni It is estimated that currently 844 million people live without clean water, and 2.3 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation, according to water.org. Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of the world’s population, and this figure is projectedRead More

House advances bill with increased funding for clean water

House advances bill with increased funding for clean water

Public Utility Finance, Water Finance June 14, 2021 at 9:25 am

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee last week marked up and advanced H.R. 1915, the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021. This legislation follows the Senate’s passage in May of its clean water reauthorization package, S. 914, theRead More

Low-income water assistance program formally launched

Low-income water assistance program formally launched

The White House last week announced the official launch of the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) housed at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).  This program is the first of its kind designed to provide funding to help low-income households affected by the COVID-19Read More

Water sector applauds proposed permanent low-income customer assistance program

Water sector applauds proposed permanent low-income customer assistance program

Rates & Affordability, Water Finance May 24, 2021 at 9:05 am

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) are applauding the introduction of H.R. 3293, the Low-Income Water Customer Assistance Programs Act of 2021. The bipartisan legislation, led by Reps. Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.) wouldRead More