December 2021 Water and Wastewater Market Recap is a recap of some of the most interesting and useful water industry news from December 2021.It contains updates on industry drivers, notable projects, and recent mergers and acquisitions, as well as some interesting reads, and upcoming upcoming meetings and conferences.
Our data team tracks major developments in the water industry, which we call drivers. Here are some of the most important drivers from last month.
Status: Effective
Organization: California Department of Water Resources
Summary: On December 16, 2021, the California Department of Water Resources published the final draft of a document meant to provide a framework for state actions to protect drinking water-wells affected by the drought gripping the Golden State. Among many other things, the document calls for the state to establish an interagency drought and water shortage task force; improve its monitoring of groundwater level, subsidence, and water quality conditions; and partner with Tribal governments, non-governmental organizations, and local agencies to support drinking-water well users. Gov. Gavin Newsome ordered the department to develop the document in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board in an emergency proclamation he signed in April.
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Status: Effective, proposed
Organization: Environmental Protection Agency
Summary: On December 16, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency announced three actions designed to make rapid progress on President Biden’s goal of removing all lead water service lines. The agency made effective its Lead and Copper Rule Revisions to advance inventories necessary to achieve the removal of all lead service lines; said it will develop Lead and Copper Rule Improvements that, along with other actions, will result in the replacement of all lead service lines as quickly as possible; and announced that it will allocate $2.9 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to states, Tribes and territories to remove lead service lines.
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Status: Effective
Organization: California Department of Water Resources
Summary: On December 17, 2021, the California Department of Water Resources released the Final Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program. Under the program, DWR will make available more than $350 million in grants for planning and implementation to help regional groundwater agencies comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
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Status: Effective
Organization: Environmental Protection Agency
Summary: On December 20, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule to establish nationwide monitoring for 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lithium in drinking water. The EPA uses the rule to monitor for priority unregulated contaminants in drinking water every five years. The rule will enable the agency to collect new data on 29 PFAS so it can improve its understanding of how often and how much of these chemicals are found in the nation’s drinking water systems.
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Here are some recent, notable Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs). FirmoGraphs has deconstructed the CIPs into data elements, along with available project descriptions. Please feel free to request a meeting and review the data live in our business intelligence application.
In the Capital Improvement Plan for its 2022-27 fiscal years, Anne Arundel County allocated $6.3 billion to projects, up 5.4% from $5.9 billion in its year earlier CIP. The table below shows the types of projects the county plans to undertake and the amounts it allocated for them in its last two CIPs.
Anne Arundel County is planning for its water utility to undertake $1.57 billion of capital spending in its 2022-2027 fiscal years, according to the county’s most recent CIP. Of that, $968.13 million will be for capital spending related to wastewater and $600.27 million will be for capital spending related to water. One of the most expensive projects in the CIP is the Cox Creek Water Reclamation Facility ENR project, which is projected to cost $140.8 million. It will involve the design and construction of Enhanced Nutrient Removal treatment facilities for the Cox Creek Water Reclamation Facility to meet Maryland Department of the Environment guidelines.
The City of Aurora, Colorado, has adopted its 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program, which details capital spending of $1.93 billion, an increase of 39.3% from the $1.39m billion in capital spending detailed in its 2021-2025 CIP. The table below breaks down the spending in both CIPs by business areas and departments.
The 3 most expensive projects in Aurora's 2022-2026 CIP are the following Water Department projects:
The current plan for Source of Supply Storage was updated per revised delivery schedules for projects related to water storage, mostly acquisition and growth-related projects. The current plan for the Source of Supply Other program was updated with significant changes related to the Rampart Water Delivery System Expansion and Wemlinger Blended Water Pipeline. Its cost in the current capital plan ($181.7 million) is $83.4 million or 84.9% higher than it was in the previous five-year plan ($98.3 million). This drastic increase can be attributed to the Rampart Delivery System Expansion construction costs being severely underestimated, which is not unusual in the current market. The current plan for Source of Supply Water was updated to include projects related to water rights acquisition and system rehabilitation. At $198.6 million, it’s $96 million or 93.6%higher than it was the previous five-year plan ($102.6 million).
The City of Chandler, Arizona has adopted its 2022-2031 Capital Improvement Program, which details capital spending of $1.7 billion, an increase of 8.9% from the $1.16 billion in capital spending detailed in its 2021-2030 CIP. The table below breaks down the spending in both CIPs by business areas and departments.
Valued at $141.7 million, the Water Reclamation Facility Improvements is the most expensive project in Chandler’s latest CIP, followed by the Water Treatment Plant Improvements project ($127.2 million).
Here are some recent articles our team has been reading:
Organizations have shifted their event strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are tracking these changing meeting plans.