According to a new sector outlook for 2024 by Fitch Ratings, inflationary pressures will continue to ease for U.S. water utilities in the coming year, and the credit ratings agency has moved its outlook to “neutral” from “deteriorating.” Fitch’s U.S. Water and Sewer Outlook 2024Read More

Fitch Ratings says U.S. water utilities weathered the COVID-19 pandemic remarkably well and appear to be on solid footing, even as the broader economy inches closer to recession, according to the credit ratings company’s annual peer review for the sector. According to the review, slowerRead More

Fitch Ratings says 2023 will bring a series of challenges that U.S. water and sewer utilities have not experienced in over a decade, according to Fitch Ratings’ 2023 outlook for the sector. Fitch Ratings’ 2023 sector outlook for U.S. water and sewer utilities is ‘Deteriorating’Read More

By Dennis Pidherny & Audra Dickinson U.S. water utilities fared remarkably well during the coronavirus pandemic and appear to be withstanding the effects of inflation on operations and capital spending thus far. This is not to say the sector hasn’t struggled. Operating costs are upRead More

According to a new report from Fitch Ratings, drought conditions across California have not triggered rating changes thus far for water agencies, although some agencies could be susceptible to rating pressure over time. Despite its second, severe, multi-year drought in a decade worsened by theRead More

According to a recent annual peer review for the sector by Fitch Ratings, U.S. water utilities have fared remarkably well post-coronavirus and are withstanding the effects of inflation on operations and capital spending. Operating costs are up across the board after a decline in fiscalRead More

Cyberattacks on industrial control systems/operational technology are more likely to have a credit and ESG impact than a corresponding attack on IT, Fitch Ratings says. Operational technology (OT) systems are vital production technologies that prioritize product or service availability and human safety and are oftenRead More

A rising interest rate environment could prove a boon for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, according to a new Fitch Ratings report. The WIFIA loan program has been hugely successful for U.S. water utilities but is currently oversubscribed. The size ofRead More

By Doug Scott U.S. water and sewer utilities will see some weakening in their financial profiles over the next several months, effectively reversing a trend of steadily declining leverage in recent years as utilities limited the rate of debt growth and posted robust operating margins.Read More

The current drought in California could cut into water utility revenues and pressure financial margins, Fitch Ratings says. Statewide water conservation mandates could be announced this fall, and some water agencies have already initiated cutbacks. After two years of dry conditions, California is experiencing aRead More