FUNDING RESOURCES

• Water Is Money

  "Why isn't water free?" Not surprisingly, that's a common query on Google — common enough that there are some outstanding responses right at the top of the screen when you type it in. After all, water is everywhere. And because it's vital to survival, we see it as a human right, linked to a moral imperative different from any other commodity. Of course, there are significant costs tied with pumping, conveying, metering and, perhaps most importantly, purifying the water we pay for. So, although we tend to undervalue water compared to its importance, we do have to pay something for it. Or, as my friend Steve Bhaerman likes to say, "water is a we-source, not a free-source."

• Transformative Infrastructure Funding Is Here. The Application Process For Getting It Still Needs Work.

  Over $850 billion in federal funding has the potential to make communities safer, more equitable, and more resilient. And to achieve those outcomes, communities of all sizes must successfully apply for, win, and manage large federal and state grants and loans. Yet even as the country’s policy ambitions continue to evolve, funding application processes and requirements, by and large, have not.

• Mitigating Water Risk In A Passive Investment Strategy

  Investors who consider water risk and how companies manage it can do well for themselves while promoting environmentally responsible business operations.

• WWEMA Window: Water Stress And Historical Funding

  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.

• Centering Water Equity In Capital Projects: Applying Equitable Infrastructure Principles Across The Infrastructure Cycle

  Water infrastructure is the backbone of thriving communities and ecosystems. With the historic federal investment into our water systems, water utilities and those who work closely with them can lead the charge to help ensure new dollars don’t lead to business-as-usual outcomes.

• Thriving In Place Through Water Investment: Principles For Equitable Infrastructure

  Signed into law in 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is the largest federal investment in water infrastructure in 50 years — a vital down payment on investments long needed in water and for communities. This opportunity provides the water sector a moment to re-envision the power and possibilities of infrastructure investments. This is a moment to center water equity, climate action, economic opportunity, and One Water in water infrastructure and capital projects.

• Leasing Is The Key To Smart Financial Management For Your Water System

  With each passing year, America’s 2.2 million miles of water pipes and related equipment get older, more fragile, and less reliable. According to a recent Infrastructure Report Card issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers, water main breaks occur so frequently in the U.S. that about 6 billion gallons of water are lost each day — enough to fill more than 9,000 swimming pools. It’s no surprise that America’s infrastructure scored a C- on the report card.

• It’s Time To Put Water On The Main Stage

  During the pandemic, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Of the 17 categories, three were dedicated to water. Drinking Water, Stormwater, and Wastewater received grades of C-, D, and D+, respectively. ASCE’s accompanying Failure to Act study summarized that by 2029, funding for the three combined categories needed to be $1.045 trillion. As a reminder, $611 billion is currently funded, leaving a gap of $434 billion. The recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) helped that gap a little more, with $55 billion in funding. Unfortunately, that still leaves a gap of $379 billion in additional funding needed by 2029.

• Seizing The Water Infrastructure Moment Nationally And Locally

  The recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act holds promise to address them via an infusion of more than $57 billion to states and localities over the next five years, but more federal funding alone will not solve everything. Federal, state, and local leaders are in a crucial implementation phase to figure out what types of priorities and projects they are going to act on.

• Protecting The Environment And Reducing Cost Through Improved Sludge Quality

  Sassuolo WWTP operators noticed high levels of zinc in generated sludge. Here is how Kando helped prevent metal contamination, allowing the sludge to be applied for agriculture.