On Saturday, state regulators issued a revised plan for California?s first-ever mandatory water cuts, emphasizing the need for urgent action. The drought, which started in 2012, could persist for years, warned the State Water Resources Control Board.

A predominant problem in the water and wastewater industry is leaking below-ground pipes. If these leaks are not located and treated, catastrophic situations and disruption of services may result.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one in every three Americans gets their drinking water from waterways that are vulnerable to pollution or some sort of compromise in water quality.

Effectively managing the impacts of stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows into waterways has been a growing concern for cities for years. With limited budgets and the growing number of consent decrees across the United States, UIM decided to reach out to a few experts to see how their cities are addressing these areas, both from a management and finance standpoint.

Regional droughts, particularly in California and Texas, have been widely covered in the national media and most Americans are well aware that solving water scarcity and quality issues is key to sustaining our enviable standard of living.

Across the United States, public works budgets are strained to the max while essential infrastructure ages in place. Not surprisingly, those charged with maintaining water systems are on the lookout for solutions that can help them pinpoint their most problematic areas with speed and precision.

More than a century after the first public power station was built, the invention of the light bulb and the widespread move to indoor plumbing, utilities have become inextricably linked with the prosperity of nations, serving as an engine of commerce and enabling significant quality of life improvements.

In March, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, have introduced a new bill, S. 741, The Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act.

Dr. Tom Iseley, director of the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) at Louisiana Tech University, has been elected to Distinguished Membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the highest award it bestows on its members.

Roughly 300 mayors from around the country recently attended the Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Held Jan. 20-23, the Winter Meeting involved some interesting sessions and presentations.