On behalf of the nation?s mayors, the U.S. Conference of Mayors President Elizabeth Kautz, mayor of Burnsville, Minn., released the following statement in response to President Obama?s FY 2012 Budget:?The nation?s mayors are pleased that the President?s budget proposes significant boosts to programs that impact Main Street America because investment in cities and metropolitan areas makes for a strong national economy.

The Clean Water America Alliance announced the 2011 U.S. Water Prize winners. Each winner has been recognized for their watershed-based models and programs that advance our country toward greater water sustainability.

On Feb. 28, Water For People (www.waterforpeople.com) marked its 20th anniversary of working to create a world where all people have access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation, and where no one suffers or dies from a water- or sanitation-related disease.

Building sustainable water systems involves a suite of stakeholders, including utility department personnel, private industry, finance and legal directors, and the general public.

As discussed in ?Energy Saving Performance Contracts: Cash Flows for Water Sustainability [UIM November/December 2010, pp. 30-33],? sustainable infrastructure provides the quantity and quality of water necessary to meet present needs without affecting the needs of future generations.

The Louisville Water Company (LWC) celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2010, a history that includes a track record of innovation.

Even as cities like Brisbane, Australia, are inundated with flooding, they must plan for the bigger picture that includes recent years of drought and an uncertain future.

In Portland, Ore., the past reveals the best way forward for a 2,000-mile sewer system. By 1883, the City had installed 15 miles of terra cotta pipe ranging in diameter from 9 to 18 inches.

Recent advancements in metrology are delivering water utilities unprecedented intelligence to help them increase revenue, support conservation efforts and provide better customer service.

More construction firms are planning to hire workers this year than are planning to make layoffs, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released by the Associated General Contractors of America and Navigant.