Last month, a bipartisan coalition of 10 senators led by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), introduced legislation for a new infrastructure financing authority to help states and localities better leverage private funds to build and maintain the nation?s outdated infrastructure.

In November, Congressman Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) was named chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. The Subcommittee provides annual funding for most Interior Department programs including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service and the Indian Health Service.

Decision support systems (DSS) for pipeline renewal have mostly focused on asset management to help owners and engineers decide on which portions of a system to prioritize for actions. These models do not typically determine whether to rehabilitate or replace a pipe or how to do it.

In October, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an $8.2 billion bill ? the Water Resources Reform and Development Act ? mapping out plans for dams, harbors, river navigation and other water projects for the coming decade.

Last month, Texas voters approved a plan that will authorize $2 billion in state funding to finance 50 years of water infrastructure projects. The money will come via a transfer from the state?s Rainy Day Fund, which is flush as a result of oil and gas revenue.

The City of Shreveport, La., has agreed to make significant upgrades to reduce overflows from its sanitary sewer system and pay a $650,000 civil penalty to resolve Clean Water Act (CWA) violations stemming from illegal discharges of raw sewage, the Department of Justice and the U.S. EPA announced last month. The state of Louisiana, a co-plaintiff in this case, will receive half of the civil penalty.

The U.S. EPA is releasing a synthesis report on ?The Importance of Water to the U.S. Economy.? The report is intended to help raise the awareness of water?s importance to our national economic welfare and to summarize information that public and private decision-makers can use to better manage the nation?s water resources.

The City of Baltimore?s Board of Estimates has awarded Itron, Inc., the contract for its Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Water Meter System Installation Program. The program will upgrade the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County?s water metering infrastructure with the goal of improving customer service and billing accuracy for all of the bureau?s water customers. Baltimore City?s Bureau of Water and Wastewater is the supplier of water to 1.8 million people in the Baltimore Metro Area.

Krausz Industries, based in Israel, recently announced the official opening of its new Ocala, Fla., facility that will provide coupling and repair clamp solutions for the U.S. water and wastewater industry.

The AWWA is reporting that the U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bipartisan bill that would exempt fire hydrants from being subject to lead-safety regulations for drinking water that go into effect Jan. 4, 2014.