Local government – Manny Teodoro

Broken politics, broken pipes 💻

Sustainable solutions for Jackson, MississippiNot a sustainable solution. (Photo credit: Mississippitoday.org)National attention is back on drinking water utilities, and once again for all the wrong reasons. As readers of this blog surely know by now,

The Sweet Spot 💻

How much consolidation is enough?You know it when you hit the sweet spot.There’s a growing consensus that there are way too many water utilities in the United States.America’s 50,000 community water systems are operated

(Un)taxing the Tap 💻

How to stop taxing waterIt’s hard to know exactly how much money Americans are paying in taxes at the tap, but it’s a lot. Last time I described the variety of ways that governments

Stop Taxing Tap Water 💻

Collecting tax revenue through water bills hurts affordability & turns utilities into coercive agents of governmentCan you find the tax?They may not realize it, but tens of millions of Americans pay taxes on the

Panopticon 💻

What happens when governments ask the public to report water waste?Ever feel like you're being watched?Rainfall has been low, the mountain snowpack is thin, and Californians are bracing for another year of scarcity. But

Shallow State 💻

Inefficient, inequitable, and maddeningly slow, America’s fragmented administrative institutions are saving the Republic before our eyes. American elections are run by a messy mish-mash of local, state, and federal agencies. That’s a feature, not

Echoes of Vizzini 💻

No, EPA did not propose affordability guidelines for municipal utilitiesAffordability!Late last week the EPA published in the Federal Register some proposed new guidelines for evaluating sewer utilities’ financial strength. In press releases and public

Graphic Realism 💻

Organization of U.S. drinking water utilities in a few simple figuresHere are some graphs that convey a few key things about the organization of drinking water utilities in the United States.*Sources: Energy Information Administration

Defense Against the Dark Arts 💻

During a public health crisis, getting the research right is paramountBeware the confundus charmIt started with a tweet.A new peer-reviewed Utilities Policy article on water utility ownership, low-income households, and shutoffs? From a pair

Two Cheers… or maybe just one 💻

for a federal low-income water bill assistance program All watery eyes are fixed on Washington The ink is barely dry on the $2 trillion coronavirus response law, but there are rumblings that a another

The Plan 💻

A five-point proposal to transform the U.S. water sectorAs daunting as the challenges in the U.S. water sector are, solutions are possible and within our grasp. Thanks to legions of smart, creative scientists and

Smart People 💻

Water Sector Reform #4: Human CapitalPeople + PipesWith a major federal investment in water infrastructure possibly on the horizon, the United States has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage that money into a structural transformation

Microcosm 💻

A decoupling drama plays out in San JoseDo you know the way?The San Jose Water Company recently proposed a significant rate increase, and its customer are understandably unhappy. Their discontent is an ironic result

New Jersey’s Water Quality [Achievement] Act 💻

Former Mayor Lester Taylor, talking about East Orange's reinvestment in its water systemThe Garden State has quietly enacted a law that could transform water infrastructure in America.Signed during Governor Christie’s waning days in office,

Wholesale Savings 💻

drought pornDuring California’s recent drought, the utilities that own their supply sources conserved more than the those that purchase water from wholesale suppliers-Warning: this post contains hardcore wonkery-A while ago I blogged about my ongoing

Water Cops 💻

Many California communities restricted outdoor irrigation during the recent drought. Did enforcement matter?Bad water boys, watchya gonna do when they come for you?Faced with water scarcity, communities sometimes restrict residential outdoor water use, such as