The Sustainable Water Infrastructure Coalition (SWIC) had a busy and productive year in 2013. SWIC members joined industry groups to help save tax-exempt municipal bonds and lay the groundwork for the introduction of the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act.

The Boards of Directors of the WateReuse Association and the WateReuse Research Foundation are pleased to announce that Melissa L. Meeker has been named executive director effective March 25, 2014.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection?s (DEP) Catskill-Delaware Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Facility, the largest ultraviolet water treatment facility in the world, has been selected by Engineering News-Record (ENR) as a 2013 ?Best of the Best Projects.?

The $1.6 billion Miami-Dade county sewer repair project has produced a steady flow of controversy as Florida public officials changed the rules for competitors for the prime contract, and the two finalists clashed over the accuracy of their stated qualifications.

In a response to the chemical spill in West Virginia last month that left more than 300,000 people without drinking water, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) reached agreement on legislative language that will help protect Americans from chemical spills that threaten drinking water.

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced nearly $5 million dollars in grants to five universities to evaluate innovative green infrastructure practices in urban areas, using Philadelphia, Pa. as the pilot area.

Public and private water and wastewater utilities across the country continue to face the challenges related to repairing, replacing and upgrading aged facilities and associated infrastructure. While planning for these improvements, utility managers must make smart decisions regarding appropriate technological solutions and appropriate project delivery methods.

Three years ago, IWA was looking to implement an asset management software system and was shopping different vendors. According to Luis Cardenas, engineer with IWA, many of the asset management systems the utility was looking at had their strengths, but they all seemed to be falling short in terms of being user friendly and, specifically, with data integration and analysis.

In an era of increased concern about limited water supplies, energy consumption, water quality and climate change, the pressure on water utilities to deliver greater efficiency and operational effectiveness is greater than ever for this energy-intensive industry.

Pittsfield Township is approximately 28 square miles and bridges the territory between the City of Ann Arbor and the City of Saline in the State of Michigan. The township provides water to about 39,000 people with needs varying from industrial, commercial to urban and rural.