WWEMA Blog

  1. WWEMA Window: Escalation And Price Adjustment Clauses — Appropriate For Use In Our Industry? 1/9/2023

    Projects in the water environment industry typically span from one to several years and require, with few exceptions, a fixed-price bid from contractors. When establishing a product’s price, contractors must carefully consider the risks involved with possible unanticipated cost increases that may occur over the length of the project.

  2. WWEMA Window: Looking Back — Looking Ahead! 12/19/2022

    Once again, another year has quickly passed. I don’t know about you, but it seems that the older I get, the faster time slips away. I can’t believe my year as Chair of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA) is ending. I want to personally thank the team at WWEMA for an exceptional job executing our 2022 goals. I have not worked with a more talented and intelligent group of water advocates than Vanessa, Tina, and Susi. I admire their ability to accomplish what they do each day. The water industry is definitely better off with these three working for and on behalf of all premier water and wastewater equipment manufacturers and our industry more broadly, not only our members.  

  3. WWEMA Window: Ensuring Impactful Water Infrastructure Investment 11/21/2022
    Milton Friedman once said, "If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years there'd be a shortage of sand." While cynical, many folks believe in the underlying sentiment of these words. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, nobody doubts the tremendous influence the federal government will exert over our industry in the coming years. Not since the Great Depression has such a focused, targeted investment in infrastructure been attempted or funded. Therefore, what can we do to ensure this period of intense investment achieves maximum impact? How can even the most cynical among us help the federal government avoid Mr. Friedman's prediction? As a manufacturer, I believe there are three things we can do to help.
  4. Giving Voice To Water... 11/11/2022

    As a new member of #WWEMA and a first time attendee at their annual conference, I have to say that Executive Director Vanessa Leiby, her staff and the board of directors led by Chairman Vince Baldasare delivered on their mission to be the voice of water and wastewater technology providers.

  5. WWEMA Window: 4 Things You Need To Know About IIJA Funding And The Build America, Buy America Act 10/18/2022

    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides much-anticipated funding for our nation’s infrastructure. The IIJA was enacted and included the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA), which now requires all recipients of federal infrastructure funding to use products manufactured in the U.S.

  6. WWEMA Window: Stability In Unstable Times 8/24/2022

    The world has seemingly been under siege for several years. From the pandemic to record droughts, the bad news keeps flowing. The water and wastewater industry has not been immune to any of this. Whether it be the pandemic, accelerating inflation, supply chain challenges, staffing shortages, or legislative responses — uncertainty is becoming the norm.

  7. WWEMA Window: Challenges For The Construction Market In The Water Industry 6/16/2022

    I have been in the water industry since 1981 and have seen a few ups and downs in the economy that were created by fuel shortages, wars, labor shortages, inflation, etc. This is the first time I have seen the impacts on the economy that were caused by several of the aforementioned occurring all at once.

  8. WWEMA Window: Water Stress And Historical Funding 5/24/2022

    Water stress occurs when demand for safe, affordable, usable water in a given area exceeds the available supply. We could add that water stress also occurs when there is an excessive amount of water due to rain events that exceed the local area’s ability to handle the storm or the storm flow.

  9. WWEMA Window: What Does Volatility Mean To You? 3/23/2022

    Almost two years ago to the day, I contributed my first article after achieving the honor of joining the WWEMA Board of Directors. At that time, I could say I’d seen a lot in my 25-plus years in the workforce and was at a point in my career where I found myself thinking, but not saying out loud, “I’ve seen this before” with a bit more regularity.

  10. WWEMA Window: 3-D Imagery As A Workforce Recruitment Tool 2/25/2022

    Why does our industry not seem to attract both a large number and highly skilled new talent like other industries do? I contend that as an industry we must do everything possible to sell ourselves and the important mission we fulfill, and what better way to do this than to wave the technology flag?