Water Management

The construction industry ended 2014 on a strong note, with a surge of 48,000 jobs in December, driving its unemployment rate down sharply from its year-earlier level, though it was up from November?s mark.

Two months ago, in the grip of a historic drought, California voters overwhelmingly approved a $7.5 billion water bond to fund everything from new storage projects to modernizing drinking water treatment plants.

Last week, water and wastewater projects in New Bedford, Marion and Saugus, Mass., are among 56 construction and planning initiatives that will be eligible for more than $500 million in loans, state officials said.

Before the onset of cold weather, prevent freezing of these water supply lines and pipes by following these recommendations.

Total construction put in place (CPIP) for 2014 will be $62 billion greater than last year ? a 7 percent increase according to a recent report from construction and engineering consultant FMI. CPIP should finish this year around $972 billion and is expected to top $1.04 trillion in 2015.

The Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) has employed Sedarū to enhance its water quality sampling program and increase operational awareness. Sedarū leverages hydraulic, asset and operational management analytics so utilities can anticipate water operations, understand impacts and solve problems for energy, quality, water resource and asset management.

Doug Owen, executive vice president and chief technical officer of the Water Division of ARCADIS North America, will serve on the boards of two influential research organizations in the water profession.

In a pivotal development toward realizing the vision of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, a U.S. House-Senate conference committee on Dec. 9, approved spending legislation for the 2015 fiscal year that includes funding to set up the WIFIA program.

The International Private Water Association (IPWA) will hold a Financial Tools Taskforce meeting via conference call on Friday, Dec. 19 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. (EST). The focus of the meeting will be on the Water Cluster.

Xylem has been awarded the 2014 Water Reuse Equipment Manufacturer of the Year by the WateReuse Association at their 29th Annual Symposium in Dallas, Texas. Xylem was awarded for its leading-edge work to optimize advanced water treatment processes for potable reuse, including projects in Florida and California.