WWEMA Blog

  1. WWEMA Window: A Year In Review And A Look Ahead 12/16/2021

    As I write this article, I must confess that I thought (hoped) that we would be in a much different place. Like many of you, I thought that 2021 would be the year that we would come out of the pandemic and return to “normal”. While progress has slowly been made in opening back up travel and meetings, it feels like we are still a long way from those pre-COVID days and that the future will likely look much different.

  2. What Can Utilities Do About Supply Chain Disruptions? 11/12/2021

    As a manufacturer who has served the waterworks industry for 25+ years, I can honestly say nothing compares to the supply chain disruptions we are currently experiencing. Contractors, utilities, and ultimately our fellow citizens are having to pay more while waiting longer. But manufacturers are not happy either.

  3. WWEMA Window: COVID-19 Challenges And Opportunities In The Water And Wastewater Sector 10/13/2021

    The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented economic and operational impacts to our industry, not to mention a high degree of uncertainty that persists. Beyond significant economic and business challenges, the pandemic has had more serious impacts as we have seen many lives lost and profound changes to the daily lives of a sizeable portion of the human race. The effect on the water and wastewater industry is highly significant.

  4. WWEMA Window: Coming Together 9/21/2021

    September 11, 2021, marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It’s been two decades (or approximately one generation) since the world watched in shock and horror as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed. That morning, across the United States, millions of water-and-wastewater-industry-related employees were on the job, certainly not expecting the tragedy that unfolded.

  5. WWEMA Window: Governmental Policy And The Impacts On Construction Costs 8/23/2021

    There are a few current governmental policies that have impacted the construction cost of water and wastewater infrastructure over the last several years. Some are older policies that were established many years ago and some are newer policies that were implemented to help U.S. manufacturers compete in these markets against foreign manufacturers. There is some discussion now in Washington to implement more policies such as $15 minimum wage and revisions to the Made in America requirements for purchases using federal money, both direct and indirect.

  6. WWEMA Window: The Aging Workforce And The Water Community — A CEO's Perspective 7/20/2021

    No matter if you are a utility, manufacturer, manufacturers rep, or contractor, finding and keeping good employees is one of our most critical future challenges. It has always been an issue, but it has become even more serious as all of us in the water industry age.

  7. Lessons On Galvanic Corrosion For Water And Wastewater Treatment Equipment Specifiers 6/3/2021

    The subject of galvanic corrosion is of interest in the specification and supply of water and wastewater treatment equipment. Galvanic corrosion is a type of corrosion that occurs when two dissimilar metals are in electrical contact with each other, thus forming an electrical cell. A cell is said to consist of an anode and a cathode.

  8. WWEMA Window: The New Face Of Manufacturing 5/25/2021

    Like many of you, I have recently been listening to and participating in many webinars and reading articles about the current challenges facing the manufacturing community — supply chain disruptions, material price escalations, workforce safety issues, market uncertainties and volatility, etc. One of the more difficult challenges focuses on worker shortages and the inability to find the right people with the right skills.

  9. Open Invitation To Attend WWEMA's Virtual 47th Washington Forum April 27-29, 2021 — Including Water Week Policy Zoom-In With EPA And Congressional Leaders 4/19/2021

    The Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA) will hold its 47th Washington Forum as a virtual meeting during Water Week 2021, on April 27-29, 2021. The Washington Forum is WWEMA’s annual legislative, regulatory, and policy meeting that directly connects our members, attendees, and invited guests to leaders in the water industry and government, including Congress and the U.S. EPA.

  10. WWEMA Window: Conflict — Sounds Bad, But Is It Really Good? 3/22/2021

    Conflict is all around us. Even the most well-run organizations will encounter conflict in their daily operations, and sometimes, healthy conflict is a sign that things are running well. The natural result of competing interests and limited resources, conflict can be an opportunity to refine and improve processes, outcomes, and relationships across an organization. When managed poorly, it can also be a serious hindrance to getting things done and deplete employee morale. In our personal and professional lives, people often go to great lengths to avoid conflict and the sometimes unsettling feelings it evokes, but is that really the wisest choice?