Water & Wastewater Market Recap, December 2023

The December 2023 Water and Wastewater Market Recap covers interesting and useful water industry news for this month. 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.

Industry Drivers

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.

California State Water Resources Control Board Approves Regulations for Converting Wastewater to High-Quality Drinking Water

Status: Proposed

Organization: California Water Resources Control Board (CWRCB)

Summary: On December 19, 2023, the California Water Resources Control Board unanimously approved regulations allowing water systems to develop treatment protocols for converting wastewater into high-quality drinking water. This approach supports California's Water Supply Strategy to enhance resilience in hotter, drier conditions. Direct potable reuse allows water systems to generate climate-resilient water sources, contributing additional drinking water while reducing wastewater discharge. The regulations, developed over several years and involving public input, provide flexibility for alternative treatment techniques and collaboration among agencies on reuse projects. Once finalized in 2024, water systems can submit direct potable reuse project plans for approval.

Click Here for More Information

Notable Capital Improvement Programs

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.

City of Hendersonville, North Carolina, Planned Capital Expenditure Increased By 13%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2033 fiscal years, City of Hendersonville, North Carolina, detailed plans to spend nearly $437 million on capital projects, an increase of 13% from $386 million in its 2023-2032 CIP. The current CIP has 309 line items, compared to 286 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down Hendersonville’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

City Engineer Increases; Fire Category Decreases

Planned spending in the City Engineer increased by 149% for new projects, including the Above the Mud Greenway & Streetscape, #22008, worth $13 million. On the other hand, the Fire category decreased by 52% due to the Fire Station #1 Construction #19019, worth nearly $12 million, which will be completed in 2023.

Wastewater Projects to Receive Over $25 Million

Out of 309 line items, the City of Hendersonville has three notable line items valued at over $25 million, all belonging to the Water and Sewer Capital Fund. The largest line item is the Wastewater Treatment Plant 7.8 M Facility Expansion, worth $44 million. Another $36 million is planned for the Water Treatment Plant Expansion to 18.0 million gallons daily (MGD). Lastly, nearly $30 million goes to Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks and Flow Equalization. 

Click Here to See City of Hendersonville, North Carolina, CIP

City of Novi, Michigan, Planned Capital Expenditure Increased by 14%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2029 fiscal years, City of Novi, Michigan, detailed plans to spend $204 million on capital projects, an increase of 14% from $178 million in its 2023-2028 CIP. The current CIP has 147 line items, compared to 151 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down City of Novi’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Almost 300% Increase Due to New Project

Most of the business areas increased. The most significant goes to the Sanitary Sewer category, which increased by 299% due to the new project, the Huron-Rouge Sewage Disposal System (HRSDS) Interceptor Rehabilitation, worth $18 million. 

Sanitary Sewer Project To Receive Over $15 Million of Investment

The City of Novi, Michigan has three notable line items valued at over $10 million. The most significant line item is the Huron-Rouge Sewage Disposal System (HRSDS) Interceptor Rehabilitation, worth $18 million, under the Sanitary Sewer category. The other two belong to the Roads category, which are the Beck Road Widening (10 Mile Road to 11 Mile Road) and (9 Mile Road to 10 Mile Road) including signal modernizations - pursuing outside funding, worth $13 million and $10 million, respectively.

Click Here to See City of Novi, Michigan, CIP

City of Peoria, Arizona, Planned Capital Expenditure Increased By 2%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2033 fiscal years, City of Peoria, Arizona, detailed plans to spend nearly $1.1 billion on capital projects, an increase of 2% from $1.08 billion in its 2023-2032 CIP. The current CIP has 235 line items, compared to 240 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down City of Peoria’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Most Significant Increase in Water Category; Decrease in Parks & Recreation

There is a significant decrease in the Parks and Recreation category due to projects completed and nearing completion, including the 85-acre Paloma Community Park construction. Despite the decrease, the current CIP increased because most business areas increased. Planned spending in the Water category increased by 35%, going to existing projects and a new project, the Agua Fria West Wellfield, worth $39 million. In addition, Economic Development rose by 190% due to the Downtown Redevelopment, worth $15 million, which focuses on creating a ‘place to be’ for families while improving the economic vitality of the Downtown area.

Water Reclamation Facility to Receive Over $50 Million

The City of Peoria, Arizona, has five notable line items valued at over $25 million. The most significant line item is the Jomax WRF Expansion, worth 64 million, under the Wastewater category. This project will include designing and constructing an expansion to the Jomax Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) located just north of the Beardsley Canal and west of the Agua Fria River. Other notable line items include:

• Lake Pleasant Pkwy; L303 to SR74 - worth $55 million, under the Streets category. This project includes extending the water, wastewater, interconnect/fiber, and street widening to accommodate the two outside lanes, bike lanes, a wide median, a future traffic signal at Lake Pleasant Parkway and Old Carefree Highway (SR74), and modifications to the Lake Pleasant Parkway and SR74 intersection.
• Agua Fria West Wellfield - worth $39 million, under the Water category. This project provides for the project coordination, public involvement, pre-design studies, design, land acquisition, construction, materials testing, construction administration, utility coordination, and all related site work for the construction of four new potable water wells and approximately 10,200 linear feet of new 16-inch waterline in the vicinity of Jomax Road and the Agua Fria River.
• CAP/LPP Intersection Wellfield - worth $39 million, under the Water category. This project provides for the project coordination, public involvement, pre-design studies, design, land acquisition, construction, materials testing, construction administration, utility coordination, and all related site work for the construction of five new potable water wells, approximately 9,200 linear feet of new 16-inch waterline, 1,200 linear feet of 24-inch waterline, and 3,100 linear feet of 36-inch waterline in the vicinity of Lake Pleasant Parkway and the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal.
• Beardsley WRF Expansion - worth $32 million, under the Wastewater category. This project will include designing and constructing an expansion to the Beardsley Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) located along 111th Avenue between Union Hills Road and Beardsley Road. The current plant treatment capacity is 4 million gallons per day (MGD). 

Click Here to See City of Peoria, Arizona CIP

City of Greensboro, North Carolina, Planned Capital Expenditure Increased by 9%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2033 fiscal years, City of Greensboro, North Carolina, detailed plans to spend $2.1 billion on capital projects, an increase of 9% from $1.9 billion in its 2023-2032 CIP. The current CIP has 327 line items, compared to 308 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down City of Greensboro’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Water Resources Increases; Transportation Decreases

Planned spending in the Water Resources category increased by 28% with funding towards existing and new projects. There are also new projects under the  Parks and Recreation category, including the Windsor Chavis Community Complex, which resulted in a nearly $120 million increase in this category. On the other hand, the Transportation category decreased by 43% due to projects nearing completion.

Over $90 Million Planned For Water Treatment Plant Expansion

The City of Peoria, Arizona, has five notable line items valued at over $25 million. The most significant line item is the Jomax WRF Expansion, worth 64 million, under the Wastewater category. This project will include designing and constructing an expansion to the Jomax Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) located just north of the Beardsley Canal and west of the Agua Fria River. Other notable line items include:

Click Here to See City of Greensboro, North Carolina, CIP

Notable M&A

The following M&A transactions in the Water and Wastewater Industry stood out in the month of December:

• On December 6, 2023, Core & Main Inc., a leader in advancing reliable infrastructure with local service, nationwide, closed its previously announced acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Granite Water Works Inc., a provider of water, wastewater and storm drainage products in Minnesota.

• On December 13, 2023, Aegion Corporation, the leading provider of infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation and technology-enabled water solutions, announced the acquisition of Culy Inc., a company that delivers assessment, maintenance and installation services for water and wastewater pipelines across the Midwest and Southeast.

What We Are Reading

Here are some recent articles our team has been reading:

• Biden-Harris Administration Announces $70 Million WIFIA Loan to Advance Drought Resilience in Southern California
• EPA awards Pennsylvania nearly $387 million for water infrastructure upgrades
• Washington, D.C., awarded $128 million for water infrastructure upgrades
• EPA awards Maryland over $240 million for water infrastructure upgrades
• Lead found in U.S. Virgin Islands drinking water prompts EPA recommendations
• Delaware secures over $77 million in federal funding for water infrastructure upgrades
• Virginia receives over $62 million for clean water infrastructure upgrades
• EPA Releases Annual Report Showing Steady Progress to Protect Communities from PFAS Pollution
• Wisconsin invests over $414.4 million in water infrastructure upgrades
• Governor Hochul allocates $479 million for 156 local water projects in New York
• Sharyland Water Supply Corp. receives $17 million WIFIA loan to upgrade water infrastructure in Texas
• What’s next for the PFAS MCL & UCMR5
• EPA Secures Agreement from Chemours to Conduct New Sampling for PFAS Contamination near Washington Works, WV Facility
• Wisconsin DNR preps 2024 grant program for small water systems to deal with PFAS contamination
• Michigan governor approves $30 million to replace Highland Park's 120-year-old water system
• California approves Delta Conveyance Project to modernize water infrastructure
• Pennsylvania receives $320 million to upgrade water, sewer systems statewide
• Carolina Water Service to improve Carteret Country water system with new acquisition
• Chemours, DuPont, Corteva affirm continued support for PFAS settlement with U.S. water systems
  
  

Meeting Planner

In this over-digitized age, there is no replacement for face-to-face meetings with your prospects and customers! We track meetings of interest to our customers serving the US power generation and supply industry so you won’t miss upcoming meetings and deadlines. Also, FirmoGraphs has recently implemented a free-of-charge service for tracking notable infrastructure events. 

Meetings in January and February 2024

Early Bird Registration

• Event: NGWA Pacific Northwest Ground Water Exposition
  Dates: March 15 - March 16, 2024
  Deadline for Early Registration: February 22, 2024
  
  
• Event: FSAWWA Florida Water Resources Conference
  Dates: March 15 - March 16, 2024
  Deadline for Early Registration: February 22, 2024
  
  

Call for Papers

• Event: SWIX PFAS Forum
  Dates: May 8, 2024 - May 10, 2024
  Deadline for Early Registration: January 12, 2024