Tad Bohannon, JD, LLM, MBA’s Post

Why isn't the Federal Government funding water and wastewater infrastructure at the same level it was in 1977? The result is a heavier burden of the true cost of service on the back of local ratepayers. #Communityof the Future #Aging Infrastructure #EverChanging Regulations #Water Affordability

Thanks for sharing this extremely important sector. $20B is just a drop in the water infrastructure bucket. That amount is needed for the water infrastructure in Chicago. Much more funding is needed but there is no clear method to get it. Other than HR 4052, the creation of the Nation’s fifth National Infrastructure Bank. The NIB will do every water system that needs it and in fact all infrastructure projects throughout America. Check out nibcoalition.com…#nationalinfrastructurebank

“[This] report to Congress confirms what public clean water utilities across America already know – that there is a massive gap between available funds and the dollars actually needed to invest in the country’s clean water infrastructure, and that the gap is growing at a rapid and unsustainable pace,” said Adam Krantz, NACWA CEO. “Local utilities and their ratepayers simply cannot continue to bear the full burden for these costs. While the $50 billion in federal water investments provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) are important and much appreciated, this new report makes clear that amount will hardly make a dent in the overall need. Local ratepayers will continue to pay for the majority of investments, but the federal government must step up and come forward as a full and long-term partner to address the funding need.” https://lnkd.in/eGS6eu88

Forty years ago, funding for water systems was seven times what it is today, even as we face ballooning costs for maintenance and improvements on water systems built during the first half of the 20th century. Adding to the strain on water utilities, many systems in the West and South anticipate growing population and demand; there are mandates surrounding lead water line replacement and contaminants like PFAS; and extreme weather events are hammering systems throughout the country after years of being underfunded. It’s estimated that water utilities will need $1 trillion over the next 20 years to repair and maintain our aging water infrastructure – Stanford University researchers estimate that we’re losing between 20 and 50 percent of our water in the distribution system. So, while $20 billion is quite a big number, there’s still a huge gap between that and the estimated need. It’s a big problem without an easy answer. It’s going to take an innovative vision – and a lot of money – to solve it. Check out a great high-level overview of the issue with this article from Governing: https://lnkd.in/eW9USZAX #water #utilities #government #money #infrastructure #funding

"On page 15 of the 38-page report, the advisory council said the federal government should "remove barriers to #privatization, concessions, and other nontraditional models of funding community #watersystems in conjunction with each state's development of best practice...President #Biden should have never appointed an investment banker to chair an advisory council for the nation's #infrastructure...#WallStreet wants to take control of the nation's public water systems to wring #profits from communities that are already struggling with unaffordable #water bills and toxic water."" https://lnkd.in/efPrHHBf

NUCA CEO Doug Carlson's on Additional EPA Water Infrastructure Resources💦 👉Highlights: -$5.8 billion in new funding announced for clean water and wastewater infrastructure. -Funding allocated from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. -$3.2 billion designated for Drinking Water SRF and $2.6 billion for Clean Water SRF. -Supports communities across the U.S., addressing critical needs like replacing lead pipes and improving wastewater systems. -Urges Congress to pass FY2024 EPA appropriations, emphasizing the importance of sustained funding. -Acknowledges the immense investment needed for long-term infrastructure improvements https://lnkd.in/e2byxXU5 #theybuilditwebondit #partnersinyoursuccess #waterinfrastructure

Water investment to 2030: an opportunity for leading practice in data-led estimating   Almost £100bn is proposed to be invested in water and sewage infrastructure between 2025 and 2030, including 10 new reservoirs. This is almost double the current level of capital investment, and the last reservoir to open in the UK was in 1992. This is a massive transformation in programme scope and scale for the water sector, making it a fantastic opportunity to showcase leading practice in data-led estimating to make a positive feedback loop from outturn cost information into insight about future development.   #data #majorprojects

💧🤠💰According to the 2022 #Texas State Water Plan, the estimate to meet projected water supply demands in the state through 2070 is $80 billion. Texas legislators acknowledged the need to stabilize Texas’ water supply —this concern is what fueled the effort behind the #TexasWaterFund, which will be financed by an existing government surplus. Texas reflects only a component of the recognized water infrastructure shortfall in the United States, which exceeds $1 trillion. Experts across the country have recognized the need for not only additional public funding sources, but public-private partnerships that can effectively leverage available public financing dollars. Efforts like the Texas Water Fund provide opportunities for advancing such partnerships. #water #waterscarcity #watercrisis #tech #watertech #startup #innovation #future #sustainability #environment #technology #investment #capital #research #unitednations #climatechange #infra #infrastructure

"Where's the money..." Bluefield clients have been asking our team of water experts in reference to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (#IIJA). At the request of our #clients expressing concerns about the pace at which federal funds are being disbursed to states and utilities, we just released, "Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act: Tracking the Spending, Q1 2024": https://lnkd.in/eKRvfTuY As we approach the midway point of the 2022–2026 appropriations timeline, Bluefield Research’s team has evaluated the progress of project funding across 10 discrete programs and subprograms administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Protection Agency and the Bureau of Reclamation. A couple quick takeaways from the analysis: // To date, Bluefield has identified awards totaling US$3.1 billion for the 10 programs analyzed. The analysis tracks the progress of US$51.3 billion from FY 2022–2026— 84.7% of which is funneled through SRF programs. // The slow pace of funding outlays is demonstrated by the fact that only 8% and 3% of total Clean Water State Revolving Funds (#CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (#DWSRF) appropriations have been paid out, respectively. // The speed at which state agencies mobilize to secure obligations is an indication of where utility-level projects are likely to mature quickest. In January 2024, Bluefield mapped 16 states that were on track for payments, headlined by Texas, Ohio, and New York. // Collectively, the four non-SRF programs tracked by our team have awarded US$1.3 billion, or roughly 4% to 27% of total available dollars per program. To learn how Bluefield Research supports a growing roster of Corporate Subscription Clients with data-backed insights such as these: https://lnkd.in/e3YZDJdA #waterinfrastructure #wastewater #staterevolvingfunds#drinkingwater #cleanwater Charlie Suse Isabel Kezman Ethan Cardi #bluefieldrunsondata