More Water Finance & Management News

By changing the competitive bidding process, the country could save billions in pipe material costs alone.

Arlington, Texas, tackles water loss with acoustic technology

Condition Assessment, Water Loss, Water Management August 17, 2020 at 11:59 am

The Arlington, Texas, Water Utilities Department is responsible for 1,440 miles of water pipes serving more than 398,112 residents. In the past few years, the city has made significant improvements to limit water loss due to main breaks and unauthorized consumption. The water loss droppedRead More

Industry 4.0 & the Water Sector

Industry 4.0 & the Water Sector

By Doug Hatler The first three industrial revolutions transformed our modern society with mechanization, mass production and digital technology. The world around us fundamentally changed. The fourth industrial revolution is now upon us. Industry 4.0, as it is called, will transform modern society and economiesRead More

Saving Lives with Human-to-Machine Interface: Wastewater Lessons from COVID-19

Saving Lives with Human-to-Machine Interface: Wastewater Lessons from COVID-19

Water Management August 14, 2020 at 7:00 am

By Shannon C. Markham “These are truly unprecedented times.” If you have not heard this phrase 100 times in the last few months then you must have recently awoken from a lengthy slumber. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis has been widespread and thorough, affecting countlessRead More

Will Supply Management Be Added to the List of Challenges to Water Utility Managers?

Will Supply Management Be Added to the List of Challenges to Water Utility Managers?

Water Management August 13, 2020 at 8:23 am

By Jim Baehr Water utilities were already facing a long list of challenges before COVID-19. Add to the list employee health protection, shutoff moratoriums, intensified affordability issues, unstable cash flow, the inability to foresee the “new normal” and matters become more complicated. It’s probable theRead More

Pure Water San Diego Program achieves milestone

Pure Water San Diego Program achieves milestone

Water Management August 13, 2020 at 7:35 am

The City of San Diego’s $3 billion Pure Water San Diego Program has achieved a significant milestone on its path to providing one-third of San Diego’s water supply locally by the end of 2035. A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit has been grantedRead More

COMMENTARY: The Liberal Case for EPA’s New WOTUS Law

COMMENTARY: The Liberal Case for EPA’s New WOTUS Law

Legal Corner, Washington Report, Water Management August 10, 2020 at 1:05 pm

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

EPA Headquarters building at the Federal Triangle in Washington, DC.

An Update on the WIFIA Loan Program

Water Finance August 10, 2020 at 9:28 am

With three years of solid results, WIFIA looks poised for long-term success. But the program could also be a very effective part of the federal response to COVID-19. By John Ryan The U.S. EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Loan Program (WIFIA) was enactedRead More

City of Buffalo renews water O&M contract with Veolia

City of Buffalo renews water O&M contract with Veolia

Private Financing / P3s, Water Management August 10, 2020 at 8:39 am

Continuing a partnership that has led to greater efficiency, cost-effectiveness and sustainability, the City of Buffalo has decided to renew its operations and maintenance contract with Veolia North America to provide drinking water services to a population of more than 250,000 people. Buffalo’s contract withRead More

Eastern Municipal Water District gets GFOA honor for financial reporting

Eastern Municipal Water District gets GFOA honor for financial reporting

Public Utility Finance, Water Finance August 6, 2020 at 9:41 am

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) was recently recognized for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association, marking the 17th consecutive year that EMWD has earned the distinction. EMWD received the Certificate of Achievement for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscalRead More

Rate Reviews & Long-Term Financial Planning: Lessons from COVID-19

Rate Reviews & Long-Term Financial Planning: Lessons from COVID-19

By JP Joly With the multitude of challenges the world has faced in 2020, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, many water utilities are rethinking their approach to rate reviews and long-term financial planning. As both residential and CII customers lookRead More