Resiliency Means Business – Part 1: A Broad Approach to Safety and Robust Service Reliability

by Shannon Pepper | Jun 29, 2022 | Resilience, Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards, Workforce Development

Resiliency is a popular term in the news today, from individual wellness to the fate of the planet. What does it mean for water utilities? This is a brief overview of the concept, practices, and regulations around resilience as it is relevant to water and wastewater...

Assessing Flood Risk for Small Water Systems Using GIS

by Southwest EFC | Jun 14, 2022 | Asset Management, Data Management, GIS, Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards

For those of us living in the Western U.S., the news is dominated by stories that describe the effects of water scarcity and how climate change is making the future of many water sources uncertain. Yet, drought is not the only potential hazard that climate change is...

Paving a (Permeable) Path for Localized Water Infrastructure

by Southwest EFC | Feb 18, 2022 | Access to Water Funding Sources, Asset Management, Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards, Source Water Protection

In the face of rapid climate change, water systems need to adapt. The recently passed Infrastructure Bill will include a flush of federal funding targeting water infrastructure, but what does (and what should) “water infrastructure” include? Industry definitions are...

Financial Resilience: Tools to Test a Utility’s Ability to “Weather the Storm”

by Austin Thompson | Sep 16, 2020 | Financial Management, Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards

These are unprecedented times. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, social norms have changed and unemployment has risen sharply across the nation. As states have pushed residents to stay home, water usage patterns have altered for both commercial and residential...

Why Water Utilities Should Conduct Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments

by Brandy Espinola | Jan 28, 2019 | Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards

Written by: Brandy Espinola Brandy Espinola is the Resilience and Sustainability Program Manager for the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland. Aging infrastructure, terrorist attacks, and climate change, oh my! As utility operators, these are...

How Important was Water Pricing in Achieving Conservation Goals During the California Drought?

by Liz Harvell | Jan 15, 2019 | Financial Management, Rates, Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards

California’s severe drought and statewide conservation mandate provided an opportunity to analyze the effects of pricing strategies as a tool to curb water use. In 2015, the State Water Resources Control Board was charged with implementing a reduction of 25 percent on...