FUNDING RESOURCES

• Progressive Design-Build: A Tool For Our Times

  Rising costs, disrupted supply chains, and a constricted labor market will pose challenges to the many construction projects now coming to market. Using a progressive design-build approach, owners can mitigate costs and minimize risks by reducing upfront cost and time investment, while fostering innovation.

• The Frame Game: The Science Of Talking About Water Rate Increases

  What is the benefit of a water rate increase? Providing the right answer could determine the public's willingness to pay more.
• New Funding For Water And Wastewater Projects In Less Populated Parts Of The U.S.

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced an $800 million allotment for rural infrastructure projects. Although the funding may seem insignificant, it will greatly increase the number of new projects launched in 2024. It is also important to note that the federal funding, in almost every case, will be supplemented by other state or local revenue...so the projects will not necessarily be small.
• (Un)Taxing The Tap: How To Stop Taxing Water

  Taxes on water and sanitation are terribly regressive, as these are services that everyone must have and, unlike most other kinds of taxes, they tend to collect similar revenue from rich and poor households. Water taxes also turn utilities from providers of public service into coercive agents of government. What can and should we do differently? Here are some policy principles to eliminate taxes on these essential services.
• Federal Funding Program Now Available To Support Water Projects

  The Department of the Interior will oversee a recently announced federal funding program named the WaterSMART program. It is designed to provide funding for projects that fortify the Western region of the U.S. against drought and climate-related water scarcity.

• WIFIA For Stormwater Programs — Saving Money While Executing A Backlog Of Capital Projects

  What if there were a federal program that could save you as much as $100 million over the life of the loan? And what if this program could allow utilities to invest in their backlog of capital projects and programs, while deferring repayment at a low interest rate for five years?

• TAP Dance: Lessons From 6 Years Of Income-Based Water Assistance In Philadelphia

  Six years ago, to great fanfare, Philadelphia Water launched a new approach to bill assistance for low-income water and sewer customers: the Tiered Assistance Program (TAP). Casually dubbed "income-based rates," TAP held out the promise of achieving true "affordability" by whatever standard policymakers set. Philadelphia TAP has garnered widespread media attention and has received tacit endorsements from some academic researchers and institutions. With more than five full years in the rear-view mirror, it's time to ask: how well has Philadelphia TAP worked?

• Water Infrastructure Projects Face Almost No Funding Shortages Anywhere In The U.S.

  The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated the largest amount of funding ever to be invested in the country's water resources. More than $50 billion was earmarked to specifically improve the country's drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. In addition to that funding, almost every state has also increased its funding commitments to improving water infrastructure. Water projects of all types are currently on the drawing boards or in the planning stages throughout the U.S. A few examples of what can be expected are described here.
• WWEMA Window: The Changing Nature Of The Water Construction And Procurement Industry

  This article is my third since 2021. The subject of the prior articles has been from the perspective of a manufacturer's representative and reporting from the field on items related to project funding, supply chain impacts on construction, and the general state of the industry from the point of sale and installation. So why not continue the discussion with this article?

• WWEMA Window: Update On Build America, Buy America Requirements For Manufactured Products

  Ever since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was signed on November 15, 2021, the question of implementation of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirement has lingered for manufactured products. There is still no definitive guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or the U.S. EPA as of this writing.