Utilities have recently experienced increased capital, operation, and maintenance costs. The cause in many cases can be attributed to aging infrastructure that was built in the last century. In addition, heightened regulatory requirements associated with the implementation of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act increased the cost of compliance while the upcoming … Read more
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recently announced updated Clean Water Act (CWA) Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) Guidance to help communities ensure public health protections and financial feasibility as they make plans to comply with the CWA. The Guidance outlines strategies for communities to follow to support affordable rates while planning investments in water infrastructure essential … Read more
Will you participate in the 23rd Annual Utility Rate Survey questionnaire? The deadline to respond to the digital and print versions of the survey is May 1, 2023. Each year, AE2S conducts a survey of water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste utility rates throughout the region. Two unique reports are prepared based on community population. One … Read more
Some signs of inflation are easing in parts of the economy. However, it is not occurring evenly and doesn’t hit all sectors consistently. Those who have projects going out for bid in the spring of 2023 may be hoping for good bid prices. That could happen, but everyone should be cautioned to temper expectations because … Read more
Water use is as predictable as it is unpredictable. Factors outside the control of water system managers heavily influence water use – weather conditions, user demographics, economic conditions, etc. Tools available to system managers primarily include educational efforts, incentive programs that reward customers for installation of water-saving devices, and rate structuring/pricing. Scientific research related to … Read more
The $55 billion for water infrastructure included in the passage of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) last fall is starting to make waves across the country. As disbursements are made to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs now is the time for communities to engage and strengthen the … Read more