FUNDING RESOURCES

• Innovations In Drought-Resilience Infrastructure Financing

  To build drought-resilience in water utilities, it is critical to be able to respond to water supply threats quickly. That also means it's essential to have the necessary financing solutions. The question is, then, where does the money come from?
• Water Infrastructure Has A New Bottleneck — And It's Not Money

  Billions have been approved, but millions remain idle. The EPA's new report on earmarks sheds light on the logjam.
• Q&A: Inside A Municipal Water Deal That Didn't Happen — And Why That Matters

  After initially voting for it, the Rahway (NJ) Municipal Council reversed course and canceled its bid process for the potential sale of the city’s water utility. As more municipalities explore alternative ownership, financing, or partnership models to address aging water infrastructure, Rahway’s experience offers a useful case study in how quickly these processes can shift — and why — explored in this Q&A with Obermayer’s Tom Wyatt.
• Critical Infrastructure Fails The Way It's Funded

  Our infrastructure systems have operated in managed deterioration for decades. And not surprisingly, once they deteriorate badly enough and cross over into active failure, all cost discipline disappears.
• Billions Of Dollars In Play As Communities Tackle Aging Water Infrastructure

  Public officials are moving to protect and upgrade the nation’s critical water infrastructure, and demand for experienced partners will be high for the next several years. Fortunately, public agencies have access to a broad mix of federal, state, private sector, and local funding sources.
• The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup

  There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens.
• Is This The End Of Affordable Water?

  Water pricing often fails to reflect scarcity, quality, or long-term risk, forcing companies to act internally. But this action is not being done in a vacuum. The ripple effect of internal water pricing is bound to impact water utilities, and ultimately, ratepayers and consumers.
• PFAS Settlements: Debunking The Myths And Revealing What's Really At Stake For Water Utilities

  Misinformation and confusion could prevent some utilities from benefitting from the aqueous film-forming foam multidistrict litigation (AFFF MDL) settlements. Here are five common myths about the AFFF MDL PFAS settlements and how public water systems can make the most of this unprecedented funding opportunity.
• Public-Private Water Partnerships: Proactive Strategies For Industrial Water Challenges

  One of the most pressing challenges facing utilities today is how to effectively respond to surging industrial demands while managing costs and maintaining established levels of service to existing customers. Thanks to new funding sources and drivers such as AI, the landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. Industries such as data centers and semiconductors are consuming massive volumes of water to support cooling and manufacturing — and creating equally daunting challenges on the wastewater front.
• How Digital Payments Infrastructure Increases Hurricane Preparedness

  The 2024 hurricane season was one of the most severe on record, creating unprecedented destruction to the tune of $182.7 billion worth of damage. Scientists predict that this year's storm season, which officially began June 1, will likely be highly active and volatile as well. As hurricanes become more difficult to accurately predict and prepare for, the damage caused by burst pipes, flooding, downed trees and debris, and disrupted utilities is also increasing.