Construction spending was up nearly 6 percent in the last year, but passing vital infrastructure and transportation legislation may be a key to further growth, according to a recent analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

In January, California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. issued a drought emergency throughout the state and directed officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for severe drought conditions. But according to a report late last month from Fitch Ratings, California water utilities should be able to manage the state?s drought emergency in the near term.

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.

The necessity for the proper planning, construction, operation and management of potable water and sewer piping systems has never been more critical. Responsible designers and owners must thoroughly evaluate operating conditions, service life and construction methods and then base their specifications on pipe materials which can provide superior service life at the lowest overall life cycle costs ? a combination of initial installed cost and future maintenance costs.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been at the heart of water infrastructure facilities and services for more than 100 years in the United States. While the private sector may have designed and constructed infrastructure projects, public entities have controlled financing, owning, operating and maintaining those assets and delivering the services to communities.