Finding new ways to offset the costs of projects can be difficult in today’s inflationary environment. However, communities are expanding their level of comfort with an expanded program through the Inflation Reduction Act that now allows municipalities take advantage of tax credits to incorporate renewable energy into their operations. From geothermal to wind or solar, … Read more
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recently released a report on the impacts of climate change on the drinking water and wastewater sectors. The Climate Change in the Drinking Water and Wastewater Sectors and the Impact on Financial Resilience, Insurability, and Credit and Investment Quality report was led by the USEPA Climate Finance Working Group so … Read more
The changeover in workforce in the water and wastewater sector is a growing challenge that will eventually impact almost every system. While there are a number of ways that systems engage and recruit new workers, it’s also important to look at how the system itself is organized to improve recruitment and retention. As the next … Read more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced the availability of up to $30.7 million in grant funding for technical assistance and training to support small and/or rural drinking water and wastewater systems. The grant provides funding to organizations that work side-by-side with water systems by giving them the necessary tools and training to ensure communities … Read more
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced a grant program for the purpose of remediating identified sources of lead in drinking water in schools and licensed childcare settings. Examples of eligible grant activities supported include: MDH will prioritize funding to projects that demonstrate the need for remediating sources of lead in drinking water. View grant … Read more
A utility’s cost of service is defined as a system’s total cost of providing service to its customers. This generally includes operating expenses, maintenance expenses, debt service principal and interest payments, and adequate funding of systems. Appropriate funding of system renewal is often described as an annual investment in rate-funded capital, debt service principal, and … Read more