The Senate voted 52-46 on Friday to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the next administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Republicans moved forward with Pruitt’s confirmation despite a last-minute push from Democrats and environmentalists to delay the vote. Pruitt’s confirmation came a dayRead More

Bentley Advances Asset Performance Modeling from Planning to Operations By Andrew Farr Water and wastewater utilities looking to enhance their asset performance modeling now have new software tools available to heighten decision-making. As utility asset management has continued to evolve from best practices and strategicRead More

By Brian Ross Around the world, public-private partnerships (P3s) play an increasingly critical role in meeting the need for investment in water infrastructure. However, P3s in the United States often fail to succeed due to political opposition, lack of transparency and public resistance to privateRead More

Editor’s Note: Check out some of the innovative products sent our way this month as we feature leak detection technology.   Echologics EchoShore-DX EchoShore-DX nodes turn fire hydrants into a smart water network for leak detection. The nodes incorporate the latest generation of acoustic sensorsRead More

By Yuval Cohen In Hindu lore, a group of blind artisans are asked to touch an elephant and describe what they experience. Each person touches a different part, one part at a time, then they compare notes. The parable follows that each person describes whatRead More

According to a new estimate developed by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), eliminating tax-exempt municipal bonds would increase water and wastewater infrastructure financing costs by $16 billion nationwide over a 30-year repayment period. TheRead More

In January, an expanded 10-partner coalition came together to update the “Effective Utility Management (EUM) Framework and Primer,” which provides water leaders with a common sense, replicable and proactive way to meet a broad range of complex challenges facing the drinking and wastewater sectors today. BasedRead More

Nestled in the shadow of the Cascade Mountain range, the City of Monroe, Wash., is a small community growing at a rapid pace. And with new growth comes the need for new infrastructure to support it. That’s why the City of Monroe Public Works DepartmentRead More

The Smart Cities Council, the world’s largest smart cities network, recently announced that Austin, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia are the five winners of the Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grant program. More than 130 cities were involved in the application process. The winning cities will receiveRead More

  Customer Assistance Programs Integrated Into Business Processes Can Help Struggling Ratepayers Stay Afloat By Neil Grigg Rate increases by water utilities are needed to sustain high quality services, but their impacts on low-income customers are a major cause of concern. In some communities, theseRead More