Archive
Water Infrastructure Resilience Report Released
In the third of its Community Resilience Benchmarks, the water benchmark addresses resilience of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. The Alliance for National and Community Resilience (ANCR) released the new benchmark recently after both the building and housing benchmarks were released in 2019. ANCR’s Community Resilience Benchmarks (CRBs) support communities in assessing their resilience and developing strategies for improvement. These benchmarks take a coordinated, holistic look at the people, services and processes that make communities work. The water benchmark was developed by a committee of subject matter experts co-chaired by Andy Kricun, Managing Director at Moonshot Missions and Senior […]
Dekalb County Receives EPA Water Infrastructure Loan
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and EPA Southeast Regional Administrator Mary Walker recently announced a $265 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to DeKalb County, Georgia, for upgrades to its aging wastewater collection and treatment system. DeKalb County will use the EPA’s WIFIA loan to assess and rehabilitate the highest priority areas of its sewer system infrastructure. Upgrades will include sewer replacement, trunk sewer upsizing, full or partial length sewer lining, and related activities at various locations within the county. The project will help eliminate sanitary sewer overflows and improving water quality in […]
Michigan Receives Water Infrastructure Investment
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced MI Clean Water, a $500 million comprehensive water infrastructure investment in Michigan’s water systems from source to tap. The MI Clean Water plan, the state says, marks a significant investment after decades of underinvestment in Michigan’s infrastructure. “The MI Clean Water investment will help us rebuild Michigan’s water infrastructure and will prioritize and invest directly into protecting our public health, environment, and economy. The MI Clean Water Plan is a critical part of the solution, but the work cannot stop here. I look forward to working with the legislature to find creative solutions to address our water infrastructure backlog. Everyone must remain committed to ensuring that every Michigander has access to clean water.”[1] The […]
Report Details Nationwide Shortfall for Infrastructure Funding
According to the new report released last week by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Value of Water Campaign, the United States is underinvesting in its drinking water and wastewater systems, putting American households and the economy at risk. The report, “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure: How a Failure to Act Would Affect the U.S. Economy Recovery,” finds that as water infrastructure deteriorates and service disruptions increase, annual costs to American households due to water and wastewater failures will be seven times higher in 20 years than they are today —from $2 billion in 2019 […]
Water Resources Development Act of 2020 Approved
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 (H.R. 7575)[1], authorizing at least $8.6 billion in federal funds for 38 new Army Corps of Engineers construction projects. WRDA 2020 provides policy direction to the Army Corps of Engineers for its civil works missions. This includes flood and storm protection, river and port navigation, environmental restoration improvements, and other water resources infrastructure according to Engineering News-Record (ENR). The total cost of the projects is estimated at more than $13 billion. The 2020 WRDA was passed by the House on Jul. 29, so WRDA will […]