Latest news with #ASCE
Business Journals
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
How Missouri American Water keeps quality on tap
Missouri American Water has continued providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable water and wastewater service since 1886. With nearly 140 years of experience, the company has become a leader in the water and wastewater industry. Serving approximately 1.6 million Missourians, the company strictly follows regulations that are set by local authorities as well as federal standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Missouri American Water understands how important water and wastewater service is to daily life. When you need it, you expect it to be there. Water quality For 22 years, six of Missouri American Water's treatment plants have been recognized with the Directors Award from the Partnership for Safe Water, a voluntary initiative developed by six prestigious drinking water organizations including the EPA. For a second year in a row, Missouri American Water has won the 'Drinking Water Taste Test' award at the joint MO-AWWA/MWEA conference. The company's water quality reports are published online and are updated each spring. expand Investing in aging infrastructure Recently released grades from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, a comprehensive assessment of the nation's 18 major infrastructure categories, paint a grim and stagnant picture for water and wastewater systems across the U.S. Drinking water infrastructure received a grade of C-, while wastewater infrastructure earned a D+. These grades haven't changed or improved in the four years since the ASCE 2021 Report Card. With over a trillion dollars in infrastructure investments needed in water and wastewater across the country over the next two decades, American Water continues to work with local, state and federal leaders to provide expertise and investment in communities that need to strengthen their water and wastewater systems. Providing high quality water and wastewater service is a top priority. Customers and community leaders can view an interactive map of the company's pipe replacement projects. Projects are prioritized based on main break rate, system criticality and coordination with state and local governments. Passing of SB 4 Recently, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 4, a bill that will allow private utilities in Missouri to plan rates based on future costs versus historical costs. This helps utility companies, like Missouri American Water, plan for necessary investments while focusing on rate stability. Built-in projections help safeguard customers from being overcharged if actual costs are lower than estimated. Why future test year is good public policy: Incentivizes greater infrastructure investment Attracts business and makes Missouri more competitive for economic development Aligns Missouri with most other states which use modern rate-setting tools to balance customer protection and investment needs Keeps rates predictable by allowing utilities to invest in new technologies and perform necessary maintenance to improve reliability Excess charges will be refunded to customers if projected costs are overestimated, creating a fairer system where customers only pay for actual, justified expenses Helping communities solve water and wastewater challenges Missouri American Water provides 1 in 4 Missourians with water and/or wastewater services. The team of more than 700 industry professionals serves areas across the state. The company understands that reliable water and wastewater service is critical to community health and prosperity. Acquisition case studies: In 2018, Missouri American Water purchased the water and wastewater systems in the city of Lawson. The city was facing regulatory compliance issues with its wastewater system that would have required a significant rate increase to address. Since the acquisition, several key improvements have been made to the wastewater system in a cost-effective manner, including the addition of ultraviolet disinfection to the treatment process, construction and implementation of a new lift station, and installation of remote monitoring. Approximately 3,000 feet of water mains have been replaced and about 3,500 feet of new water mains have been added. Garden City was facing major compliance challenges for both their water and wastewater systems. Since 2015, they received 27 violations for drinking water from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Critical investments had not been made in an effort to keep rates low. In 2020, more than 67% of Garden City voters supported the ballot measure to sell the water and wastewater systems to make Missouri American Water their trusted water and wastewater provider. Immediately work began in 2021 to maintain regulatory compliance, including improvement of the chemical feed system and cleaning of the wastewater lagoons. With the sale, the city could retire its debt and have significant funds to address additional community needs. here. Missouri American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.6 million people. For more, visit
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
To Fix America's Crumbling Water Infrastructure, the Private and Public Sectors Must Work Together
Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers' Report Card for America's Infrastructure provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of the nation's infrastructure. The results of the recently released 2025 report card were not where we want or need to be as a nation. Drinking water received a grade of C- and wastewater infrastructure a D+. Even more concerning, there's been no change since the 2021 report card. The ASCE data reflects the harsh reality faced by communities across the U.S.—public water systems are in desperate need of investment, repair, and modernization. Access to safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water is not a given for all Americans. View of the hand of a person holding a glass of drinking water from a tap. View of the hand of a person holding a glass of drinking water from a tap. VINCENT FEURAY/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images Last December, Baltimore's water system—which serves 1.8 million people—showed elevated levels of legionella bacteria. This came on the heels of E. coli found in their water system in 2022 due to failing infrastructure. In Jackson, Miss., decades of water supply problems culminated with the 2022 failure of a major water treatment plant, leaving 160,000 people without potable water. And, 10 years later, work continues to remove lead pipes in Flint, Mich. These examples made national headlines, but there are systems across the U.S. that have similar challenges that haven't made the news—whether in dense urban spaces, sprawling suburbs, or rural communities. No one wants to be the next front-page story. We need to take a hard look at the current state of our water system infrastructure. Our nation's drinking water infrastructure system is made up of 2.2 million miles of underground pipes. According to the American Society of Engineers, because of the aging infrastructure, drinking water systems currently lose at least 6 billion gallons of treated water per day. That's over 9,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. This amounts to 2.1 trillion gallons of water loss per year, at a cost of $7.6 billion annually. U.S. water system owners currently spend a fraction of the $1 trillion we'll need in the next 20 years to make necessary upgrades. This doesn't account for the impact of extreme weather events like floods and droughts, which strain systems. And industry demands are only continuing to increase. Large, regulated water companies aren't the norm in the U.S. Unlike gas and electric utilities, most of which are regionalized, water systems are highly fragmented. There are more than 50,000 community water systems. The majority of these serve less than 10,000 people—and more than half serve fewer than 500 people. The small scale and fragmentation of these systems is inefficient, creating steep challenges for communities that have limited access to capital due to small customer bases. Decade after decade, needed upgrades are often unmade, creating a cycle of underinvestment that typically comes to a head when systems fail to meet drinking water standards or face major, costly upgrades or repairs that can no longer be kicked down the road. The solution will require both the public and private sectors to come together, and leveraging private capital is a key component. Yet the idea of infusing private capital is sometimes met with resistance. Perhaps it is a fear of loss of local oversight or a revenue stream, but the reality is that larger, regulated utility companies bring experience, expertise, and private capital that many small systems simply don't have. These companies are solutions providers, helping communities solve water and wastewater challenges, such as PFAS, lead and copper, and other critical issues that arise from underinvestment and deferred maintenance, and they do so at economies of scale, spreading investment across a much larger customer base. American Water plans to invest $40-$42 billion across our water and wastewater systems over the next 10 years. Economic impact studies show that for every $1 million invested in water infrastructure, upwards of 15 jobs are generated throughout local economies. For cash-tight communities, the long-term economic impact is consequential. Less money being used to replace aging infrastructure means more money for fixing roads, supporting pension funds, and stabilizing local taxes. To achieve the goal of safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water for every American, partnering with the federal, state, and local governments, along with other stakeholders, is key. Enacting constructive policies drives additional investment in critical systems. Proposed legislation, supported by the water industry, such as the Water Systems PFAS Liability Protection Act, would allow water utilities to prioritize maintaining water quality over defending against polluters' liability disputes. Support of the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) would help ensure affordable access to safe drinking water while helping to provide all water utilities with much-needed revenue to repair and modernize infrastructure. Legislation is needed to ensure that all wastewater utilities have access to Clean Water State Revolving Fund dollars, allowing all utilities to apply for low-cost financing for wastewater infrastructure projects—and passing the savings on to customers. The solution is an "and" not "or" approach that requires the public and private sectors to work together. Public-private cooperation and partnership reap bigger benefits as well. We can safeguard human health, incentivize economic investment, and ultimately create American jobs. Working together, we can preserve and enhance our most precious resource for generations to come. John Griffith is the president of American Water. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts raise red flag after report shows nationwide issue neglected for decades: 'Could be catastrophic'
The 2025 Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers highlighted challenges facing the aging water infrastructure in the United States. The report card, released by the ASCE in March, grades a variety of infrastructure on an A to F scale. According to the report, drinking water scored a C-, as did inland waterways, while stormwater and wastewater received a D and D+, respectively. To improve these scores, utility companies need significantly more money. The issue is, as reported by McKinsey and Co., that "private and public water and wastewater utilities are underfunded" and "rising user costs (including for citizens) have been unable to close the funding gap." These scores highlight the need for more work and funding to be funneled into the water, which is deeply affected by fluctuations in average annual temperatures as well as by contaminants. Specifically, PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in the water call for critical treatment measures. According to an article by Construction Dive, "[PFAS] are a group of widely used "forever chemicals" that can pose serious human health and environmental risks." The effects of PFAS are everywhere. These toxic chemicals are used in the manufacturing of goods and seep into our water, soil, and air. Furthermore, PFAS have been linked, according to CNN, to "liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression and cancer." With these facts in the face of experts, the need to act is apparent. "Although water utilities did not create these challenges, they must not fail to provide solutions," McKinsey and Co. said. "If they do, the consequences for communities could be catastrophic." While the existing ways water systems function may need to be redesigned with modern issues, such as water stress, accounted for within them, government leaders have the information needed to make important adjustments. For instance, Construction Dive states, "Establishment of a nationwide database for stormwater assets would help." On top of optimizing information, the ASCE reports that about 30% of utility companies are using asset failure prediction technologies, which can locate major issues before they have the opportunity to occur. Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly Sometimes Not really I don't know enough about them Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. It will be a long road to clean water, and support will be needed from governmental agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, which is facing funding and grant cuts as well as regulatory rollbacks regarding PFAS contamination. But with the right data and planning, improvements can still be made. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Illinois American Water President Addresses New ASCE Report Card, Urges More Investment in Critical Water Infrastructure
Rebecca Losli, President of Illinois American Water, issued the following statement in response to the grades of C- for water and D+ wastewater in the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. 'The ASCE 2025 Report Card reveals no change or improvement over the last four years – America's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure is stagnant. The Report Card highlights the urgent need for significant investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, not just across the nation, but also here in Illinois,' said Losli. 'Our state continues to face challenges when it comes to investing in critical infrastructure, particularly in these sectors.' With over a trillion dollars in infrastructure investments needed in water and wastewater across the country over the next two decades, American Water continues to work with local, state and federal leaders to provide expertise and investment in communities across Illinois that need to strengthen their water systems. Over the next ten years, American Water plans to invest $40-$42 billion in our systems across the country to help ensure safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water and wastewater service. Since 2013, Illinois American Water has invested $2 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure to address aging infrastructure, safety, and to meet EPA standards. The company's capital investment for 2024 was $277.63 million. There is an economic ripple effect on investment in water and wastewater. According to the U.S. Water Alliance, every $1 million invested in water and wastewater infrastructure brings 15.5 jobs. Last year, in 2024, the company's investment in infrastructure could be measured by 4,300 jobs in the state of Illinois. About American Water American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's 6,700 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. Terry Mackin, Director, Communications & External Affairs Illinois American Water Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 03/28/2025 10:48 AM/DISC: 03/28/2025 10:48 AM
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Virginia American Water president addresses water infrastructure in the state
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The President of West Virginia American Water, Scott Wyman, released a statement regarding the grades for drinking and wastewater. According to a press release, the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure gave a C- for water and D+ for wastewater. WorkForce West Virginia announces upcoming Statewide Virtual Job Fair The ASCE 2025 Report Card reveals no change or improvement over the last four years – America's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure is stagnant. The Report Card highlights the urgent need for significant investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, not just across the nation, but also here in West Virginia. Our state continues to face challenges when it comes to investing in critical infrastructure, particularly in these sectors. Scott Wyman | President, West Virginia American Water With more than a trillion dollars in infrastructure investments needed within the nation in the next 20 years, American Water works with leaders to assist communities across the Mountain State in strengthening their water systems. WorkForce WV announces new text campaign for their Unemployment Insurance program Throughout the next ten years, American Water aims to invest an estimated $42 billion in water systems across the country to enable access to safe, clean, reliable, and affordable water and wastewater services. For more information regarding American Water, visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
