After six months of conference committee discussions, the U.S. House and Senate conferees have reached an agreement on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). The $8.2 billion WRRDA bill could be voted on by the full Senate and House as early as the week of May 19, 2014. If approved by both chambers … Read more
Federal water quality standards have resulted in an increasing emphasis on the way communities deal with stormwater. More and more every day, municipalities are faced with revenue requirements for stormwater that are becoming similar to water or wastewater utilities – administrative expenses, operation and maintenance expenses, debt service obligations, and contributions to reserves. Acquiring traditional … Read more
Aging and outdated infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges facing federal, state, and municipal leaders across the U.S. right now. Determining the best way to move forward on a major project can be difficult, but there is a new tool to make the decision-making process easier. An independent, non-profit organization called the Institute for … Read more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is awarding $12.7 million in grants to help small drinking and wastewater systems. The funding will impact systems that serve fewer than 10,000 people, as well as private well owners. The awards include: $4.5 million each to the National Rural Water Association and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to … Read more
The deadline for completing the 13th annual North Central Utility Rate Survey questionnaire is March 21, 2014. The digital and print versions of the survey were sent out in late January. Each year, AE2S Nexus conducts a survey of water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste utility rates throughout the region. Two unique reports are prepared based … Read more
The Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2013 (HR 3449) would establish three to five Centers of Excellence for Innovative Stormwater Control Infrastructure at institutions throughout the country. HR 3449 defines “innovative stormwater control infrastructure” to mean any stormwater management technique that uses natural or engineered systems that mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspire, or capture … Read more