In an economy awash in capital, why does water want for investment? Cryptocurrencies turn code into gold, but water is the ultimate liquid asset. America’s water and sewer utilities need trillions of dollars of
Report cards for 570 Wisconsin water utilities strong marks for the Badger State’s capital city Back in 2019 I did something quite foolish: thinking out loud while testifying in a public hearing. When a
Sustainable solutions for Jackson, Mississippi not a sustainable solution 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 second pillar of affordability is Efficiency One of these matters more than the other This post is the second in a series outlining five pillars of affordability strategy for water and sewer utilities. Together,
Notes on the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Part III Water professionals of America, unite! Late last year Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, authorizing
Notes on the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Part II* The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act is 1,039 pages long. That’s a lot of tea. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, better known as
Notes on the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Part I No need for air conditioning In November President Biden signed the long-awaited $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) better known as the Bipartisan
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
Confluence. [kän-flü-ən(t)s]. n. A coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point. Water is a big deal in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania is a swing state. Am I being too subtle? More evidence that,
Why water should be the Biden Administration’s top environmental priority Manny's electoral map The Biden administration’s environmental policy priorities are likely to be quite different from the Trump administration’s, and the impending change at
No, EPA did not propose affordability guidelines for municipal utilities Late last week the EPA published in the Federal Register some proposed new guidelines for evaluating sewer utilities’ financial strength. In press releases and
The congressional COVID cavalry isn’t coming to save the water sector "Nobody got nothing to say about a 40-degree day." The ink was barely dry on a $2 trillion coronavirus response law when Congress
A five-point proposal to transform the U.S. water sector As 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
Water Sector Reform #4: Human Capital People + Pipes With 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
Water Sector Reform #3: Smart Systems Sewer inspectors: Old School & New School With a major federal investment in water infrastructure possibly on the horizon, the United States has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage
Water Sector Reform #2: Regulatory Transparency & Fairness Bringing together the best of both states With a major federal investment in water infrastructure possibly on the horizon, the United States has a once-in-a-generation opportunity
Better Together Water Sector Reform #1: Consolidation With 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 reforms to transform
A trillion-dollar federal infrastructure package and a chance to reform the water sector This post is not about theoretical physics - Warning: mixed metaphors ahead - Observers of America’s water, sewer, and stormwater systems
Devils (and angels) in the details, Part 3 In early January the California Water Board released its draft proposal for a statewide low-income water bill assistance program. My last couple posts summarized the proposal
Former Mayor Lester Taylor, talking about East Orange's reinvestment in its water system The Garden State has quietly enacted a law that could transform water infrastructure in America. Signed during Governor Christie’s waning days
Some observations about the new law & what it tells us about the politics of water infrastructure in America Here's looking at you, America The Senate recently passed the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA)
How utility people—and everybody else—think about water issues Where's your head at? Each year the American Water Works Association (AWWA) conducts a survey of its members on the State of the Water Industry (SOTWI).
Social science and defying the choice between clean and affordable water Warning: sports cliché coming. Boxing is more popular as a literary metaphor than as a spectator sport these days. Still, I’m a
Why water utility service can be simultaneously underpriced and unaffordable Analysis of water and sewer affordability implies a concern that the prices of these critical services might be too high. At the same time,
hyperopia (hīˌpə-rōˈpē-ə). n. A condition in which visual images come to a focus behind the retina of the eye and vision is better for distant than for near objects Last week I had the pleasure of
The case for rate-funded water affordability Warning: this post contains hardcore wonkery. One of the most trenchant questions that emerged during the recent California State Water Resources Control Board affordability symposium (pursuant to California
Can declaring a human right to water help address affordability? Something extraordinary is unfolding in California. In 2012, to great fanfare, California governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 685, which amended the
This is the fourth in my series of posts on the recently released White House infrastructure plan. Release of the White House infrastructure plan triggered a flurry of news about the nation’s ports, dams,
This is the third in my series of posts on the recently released White House infrastructure plan. One of the most remarkable things about the White House plan is that water is a big
The City of Jacksonville, FL is contemplating sale of JEA, its municipal electric, water, and sewer utility. For years Jacksonville has toyed with the idea of selling JEA to a private investor, but the possibility
This is the second in my series of posts on the recently released White House infrastructure plan. We’re at a strange point in America’s fiscal history. Cash on corporate ledgers is high, bond rates
