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

The 2014 outlook for the U.S. water and sewer market is stable despite ongoing economic, capital and political pressures, according to new report from Fitch Ratings. The report reveals that while water and sewer utilities continue to face ongoing capital and debt pressures, the sector shows overall financial strength.

For some, WEFTEC 2013 came and went ? another major water conference. For others, WEFTEC 2013 was truly a unique and distinct experience. Hosted by the City of Chicago at McCormick Place, this year?s show attracted a record number of attendees.

The established U.S. water and wastewater analytical instrumentation market has high saturation levels along with very few recent technological innovations. Nonetheless, slow and steady growth is anticipated, driven mainly by federal and state level regulations.

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.