At their meeting in Austin, Texas, the American Water Works Association Board of Directors elected Gene Koontz of Lemoyne, Penn., as the association?s next president-elect and chose five new vice presidents and two directors-at-large.

In a response to the chemical spill in West Virginia this 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.

The Farmers? Almanac predicts a colder than normal winter in Arizona, but this year, Pinetop Water employees don?t have to trudge through the snow to inspect meters, wells and tanks. This innovative water utility uses a Sensus smart water network and automation technology to remotely monitor water wells and tanks and read water meters.

The Water Design-Build Council has announced the release of its third edition of its Municipal Water Design-Build Handbook, now available online. This updated and expanded version continues to provide readers with an overview of important factors to consider in implementing water and wastewater infrastructure projects using the various methods of Design-Build (DB).

Xylem Inc., has been awarded a $2.7 million contract to supply the equipment and technology for a stormwater drainage system to protect against future storm damage along Route 35 on the New Jersey coastline.

American Water has announced that Jeff Sterba will retire from his role as president and chief executive officer of American Water at the Company’s annual meeting, scheduled for May 9, 2014. At that time, American Water?s current senior vice president and chief financial officer Susan N. Story will succeed Sterba as president and CEO.

The Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency recently awarded a $141.2 million contract to CH2M HILL for the design, construction and long-term operation of a new surface water treatment system, largely helping replace ground water with treated surface water from the Sacramento River by 2016.

On Oct. 1, Piero Salvo, who has almost 20 years of trenchless construction experience, founded a new engineering firm named GAME Trenchless Consultants. The name GAME stands for Global Asset Management Engineering.

SWIC joined the Chronicles Group in hosting water documentary film screenings and speaker panels of Members of Congress and water leaders at the U.S. Capitol in November. Water summit special guest, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), began the program and encouraged support for his private activity bond legislation that would provide $50 billion in private capital investment in water and wastewater infrastructure and create more than one million jobs.

Michael Deane, executive director of the National Association of Water Companies, presents an exclusive perspective for waterfm.com on investor-owned utilities.