The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced deadlines for applying for Federal Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 319 nonpoint source control grants. Nonpoint source water pollution is often associated with specific land uses such as agriculture, forestry, urban and suburban development, and runoff from … Read more
AE2S Nexus has published the 2020 version of its annual Utility Rate Survey. We would like to thank the 257 participants this year. AE2S Nexus received responses from 122 systems serving populations 5,000 and greater, 92 systems serving populations less than 5,000, and 43 regional rural systems. Survey data was solicited from utilities in Colorado, … Read more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced the 2020 notice of funding availability under its Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, including funding for the new State Water Infrastructure Financing Authority (SWIFIA) program. The announcement marks the fourth round of WIFIA funding. The funding programs accelerate investment in critical water infrastructure through innovative … Read more
The full economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is still unknown at this point. However, economists predict varying degrees of economic downturn. To compound the issue, oil producing regions are contending with the price of oil bottoming out at the same time. Although there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to the future … Read more
This article was originally published in the January 2020 edition of The Western Planner. As planners we often talk about creating a “Vision for the Future” for the regions and communities we serve. That vision may include elements of future land use, urban design, growth policies, housing, social justice, economic development, and the list goes … Read more
Shifting climate patterns and periods of drought and excessive precipitation appear to becoming increasingly extreme, posing continual challenges such as physical setbacks in the agricultural industry and social challenges associated with extreme weather conditions. In the water industry, we find ourselves simultaneously working toward solutions to conditions of both too little water and too much … Read more