Archives › 2011 › January
Here is a video from CNN reporting on water infrastructure issues. I would note the human story at the beginning about the victim of water main break. One of the problems with our water/sewer infrastructure is that the consequences of failure are not often seen or felt. The frequency of failure has historically been low [...]
I had an opportunity to speak on a very distinguished panel of experts today at the Colorado Contractors Association. The topic was funding of water and sewer infrastructure in the US and the panel was presented by WIN Colorado (http://wincolorado.org/). Other panelists included Ann Terry (Colorado Special District Association), Sam Mamet (Colorado Municipal League), and [...]
Public Works magazine is one of many, perhaps the latest, reporting on the huge gap in funding between our water and sewer infrastructure needs and current annual spending. The problem isn’t new. Water and sewer infrastructure have been aging unabated for 50 years or more and its no surprise to anyone that water pipes, pumps, [...]
Tough economic times have put water and sewer rates under a lens. As the economy continues to flounder in many aspects, not the least of which is lingering unemployment, the job of providing basic utility services goes on. In Wichita, a recent 8% water rate increase was met with its share of public outcry. The [...]
Just last year, we saw Indianapolis reach a new public-private partnership involving the sale of the city’s water and sewer utilities to a not-for-profit cooperative. Today there is news that the City of Nashua, located in New Hampshire, is set to acquire 100% of the capital stock of the Pennichuck Corporation in a deal that [...]
The USEPA’s Community Water System Survey released in 2009 provides more evidence that private utilities do not provide services at a net benefit to customers. Although the survey shows that the actual cost is lower at private utilities than for public ones, those savings evaporate once private owner profits are considered. If you factor in [...]