Water Management

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that Buchanan County, Virginia, and nine other local governments around the nation will receive a total of $500,000 in financial and technical guidance to invest in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

Susan Hedman, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) regional administrator for Flint, Mich., resigned last week as city and state officials continue to investigate who is at fault for the city?s contaminated water distribution system.

The Cleveland Water Alliance and NASA Glenn Research Center have announced a new initiative for economic development that would help NASA Glenn form partnerships with companies and organizations that could help turn water-related technologies into commercial products.

?It may be some time before all the facts surrounding Flint are understood. However, there are a few lessons that seem apparent, says AWWA CEO David LaFrance in a recent statement addressing the Flint crisis.?

In spite of the limited shelf life of New Year?s resolutions, using the beginning of the calendar year to at least ?take stock? is simply too ingrained a ritual for most to pass up. It is therefore inevitable that a discussion of infrastructure finance themes in January would include some form of reflection on the past year. Perhaps one of the better barometers to examine as part of this exercise would be the primary source of a utility?s CIP funding ? the vast and dynamic municipal debt market.

After a two-year study conducted by MWH Global and Hawksley Consulting, Castle Pines North Metropolitan District in Colorado has decided on a long-range water plan that ensures the future of enduring water supplies to the District.

SplashLink.com and AccelerateH20 have announced a partnership that will launch an unprecedented view of Texas-specific contracting, bidding and funding opportunities, as well as projects from throughout North America.

On Saturday, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Board of Directors elected Brenda Lennox of Beaverton, Ore., as the association?s next president-elect. Four new vice presidents and one new director-at-large were also selected.

President Barack Obama, on Saturday, declared that an emergency exists in the State of Michigan and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the area affected by contaminated water in the City of Flint.

State officials in Michigan last week warned Flint residents not to drink their tap water without using a filter to strain out lead. Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said it could end up costing the city as much as $1.5 billion to fix the damaged water distribution system.