Construction spending fell for the sixth straight month in May, touching an 11-year low, as shrinking public outlays and residential construction swamped a rise in private nonresidential work, the Associated General Contractors of America reported in an analysis of new Census Bureau data.

Infrastructure is the driving force of an economy. Without means to move goods and services, and without facilities to provide clean and safe water, a city simply cannot compete.

Garney Companies Inc. has been awarded more than $375 million in contracts to improve Colorado?s water infrastructure, the company announced recently. Two projects were awarded independently by the Denver Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Colorado Springs Utilities.

Pure Technologies Ltd. announced June 13 that it has purchased the business and assets of Electromechanical Technologies Inc. (EMTEK), a Salt Lake City-based developer of advanced pipeline inspection technologies.

Speaking before the Citi Climate Change and Water Conference recently in London, Aqua America Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis said that the water-energy nexus will play a large role in future of the company with respect to environmental and business opportunities.

Leadership was the theme of this year?s American Water Works Association?s Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE) held in Washington, D.C., June 12-16. Thousands of water professionals from around the world gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to take part in educational sessions and view exhibitors products and services.

America?s infrastructure investments ? levels of which have long trailed behind those of Asia and Europe ? will be further stifled this year by pressures to cut federal spending and reduce the deficit, compelling cities to be evermore creative and resourceful in securing partnerships to start or continue infrastructure projects, according to Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority.

There is a common discussion taking place across the United States today that may sound a bit different depending on where you live and what your local economic and political climate is, but the common underlying question is simply this: Is government operating with maximum effectiveness and efficiency to achieve long-term sustainability?

Pleasanton, Calif., is one of the best places to live in the United States, according to Money Magazine. As a long-time resident and fourth-term mayor, I am not surprised the city is recognized for its recreational, educational and cultural facilities, as well as a climate, that are second-to-none.

Many regions of the United States are facing a painful and daunting task to keep up with the need to restore their aging and increasingly inadequate pipeline infrastructures, particularly when it comes to meeting present and future needs of water, wastewater and natural gas pipeline systems.