The January 2024 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.
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: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Summary: On January 8, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that prohibits the use of 329 per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have not been made or used for an extended period without a complete EPA review and risk determination. The rule prevents companies from resuming the use of these inactive PFAS without notifying and getting approval from EPA. The rule also builds on the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which mandated the EPA to conduct safety evaluations for all new chemicals before they are allowed into commerce.
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Status: Effective
Organization: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Summary: On January 9, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the inclusion of seven PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). These seven PFAS are added based on a provision in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which automatically adds PFAS to the TRI list when the EPA finalizes a toxicity value for them. The seven PFAS that were added for the 2024 reporting year are:Click Here for More Information
Status: Effective
Organization: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Summary: On January 30, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a draft testing method (EPA Method 1634) allowing government agencies, Tribes, and other groups to detect 6PPD-quinone in stormwater and surface waters. 6PPD-quinone is a chemical by-product of 6PPD, a common tire additive that can harm coho salmon and other aquatic life. The EPA developed the method in response to the urgent need to identify and address the sources and impacts of 6PPD-quinone in the environment. The EPA is also conducting and funding other research activities on 6PPD-quinone, such as investigating its fate and transport, ecotoxicity, mitigation strategies, and measurement development for multiple media. The EPA is also developing draft screening values for 6PPD-quinone and 6PPD in water that protect sensitive salmon and other aquatic life. Additionally, the EPA is coordinating with the National Science and Technology Council on the potential human health effects of 6PPD-quinone.
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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 CIP covering the 2024-2033 fiscal years, Metropolitan Sewerage District, North Carolina, detailed plans to spend $465 million on capital projects, an increase of 33% from $350 million in its 2023-2032 CIP. The current CIP has 90 line items, compared to 88 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down the Metropolitan Sewerage District’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.
Planned spending in the Treatment Plant, Pump Stations & General Capital Improvements category increased largely by 76% with funding towards existing projects. The largest increase was attributed to Solids Handling Capacity Improvements from $3 million to $55 million. In addition, the Weaverville Pump Station (PS) Replacement Project also increased, worth $21 million, to replace PS No. 1, replacing the existing 12-inch force main with 18-inch, and converting PS No. 2 into a smaller residential station.
Metropolitan Sewerage District has four line items valued at over $50 million. The largest line item is the Biological Treatment project, worth $91 million, under the Treatment Plant, Pump Stations & General Capital Improvements category. The project will replace the Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC's) with an alternative biological treatment technology. Other line items include:
Click Here to See Metropolitan Sewerage District, North Carolina, CIP
In the CIP covering the 2024-2029 fiscal years, the city of Clearwater, Florida, detailed plans to spend nearly $950 million on capital projects, an increase of 25% from $758 million in its 2023-2028 CIP. The current CIP has 166 line items, compared to 161 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down Clearwater’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.
Planned spending in the Water-sewer Combination Services category increased by 35% with funding towards existing projects and programs, including Sanitary Sewer R & R providing general system wide condition inspections, and repair and replacements, which increased by more than $60 million. There is also a new project under the Road and Facilities category, the Nash Street, worth $25 million. This project provides for the design and reconstruction of stormwater, roadway reconstruction, expansion and/or replacement of sidewalk infrastructure, sanitary sewer gravity main reconstruction, potable water main reconstruction, reclaimed water main reconstruction and right-of-way restoration.
The City of Clearwater has two notable line items valued at over $50 million and four at over $30 million. The largest line item is the R.O. Plant at Water Treatment Plant (WTP) #3, worth $59 million under the Water-sewer Combination Services category. This project provides funding for a treatment system to reduce regulated constituents levels in the raw water, total dissolved solids (TDS) including arsenic, etc. that serves as a source water for WTP #3. Other notable line items are listed below:
Click Here to See City of Clearwater, Florida, CIP
In the CIP covering the 2024-2028 fiscal years, Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Nevada, detailed plans to spend nearly $446 million on capital projects, an increase of 13% from $393 million in its 2023-2027 CIP. The current CIP has 156 line items, compared to 131 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down Truckee Meadows Water Authority's planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.
The Treatment Plant Improvements category increased by 46% or 21 million going towards the existing Orr Ditch Pump Station Rehabilitation and Hydro Facility and Spanish Springs Nitrate Treatment Facility. There are also nine new projects in the Hydroelectric Improvements category and two in Potable Water Storage Improvements, increasing each business area by $10 million.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority has one notable line item valued at over $100 million and two at over $10 million. The largest line item is the Advanced Purified Water Facility at American Flat, worth $112 million, under the Raw Water Supply Improvements category. The facility will be Nevada’s first Advanced Purified Water project achieving category A+ reclaimed water quality, with 2 million gallons per day (MGD), producing 2,000 acre-feet of water annually. The other two projects belong to the Treatment Plant Improvements: the Orr Ditch Pump Station Rehabilitation and Hydro Facility and Spanish Springs Nitrate Treatment Facility, which are worth $28 million and $14 million, respectively.
Click Here to See Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Nevada CIP
In the CIP covering the 2024-2029 fiscal years, City of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, detailed plans to spend $592 million on capital projects, an increase of 34% from $441 million in its 2023-2028 CIP. The current CIP has 108 line items, compared to 99 line items in the prior CIP. The table below breaks down City of Rio Rancho’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.
Planned spending in the C.I.F. Wastewater category increased by 89% due to the addition of the Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 Biological Nutrient Removal or Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Expansion as well as various Lift Station improvements. There is also a 31% increase in the Public Works category going to Roadway General Obligation Bond Projects and Pavement Preservation, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Programs.
The City of Rio Rancho, New Mexico has three notable line items valued at over $20 million. The largest line item is the Southern Boulevard Reconstruction Phase 2A - Western Hills to 525' east of Golf Course Road, worth $26 million, under the Public Works category. Another $24 million is also planned in the same category for the City Center Facility Plan-Storm Drainage & Land Acquisition. The C.I.F. Wastewater also receives a notable project, the Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 Biological Nutrient Removal or Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Expansion amounting to $23 million.
Click Here to See City of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, CIP
The following M&A transactions in the Water and Wastewater Industry stood out in the month of January:
Here are some recent articles our team has been reading:
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.
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Name Organization |
Name Meeting |
Date Start |
Date End |
| National Association of Clean Water Agencies | NACWA Winter Conference |
2024-02-13 | 2024-02-16 |
| Water Environment Federation | WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference | 2024-02-13 | 2024-02-16 |
| American Water Works Association | AWWA Membrane Technology Conference & Exposition | 2024-03-04 | 2024-03-07 |
| American Water Works Association, Arizona Section | AZ-AWWA Biosolids & Wastewater Treatment Symposium | 2024-03-07 | 2024-03-07 |
| American Water Works Association, South Carolina Section | SC-AWWA South Carolina Environmental Conference | 2024-03-10 | 2024-03-13 |
| WateReuse Association | WateReuse Association Annual Symposium | 2024-03-11 | 2024-03-14 |
| National Ground Water Association | NGWA Pacific Northwest Ground Water Exposition | 2024-03-15 | 2024-03-16 |
| Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies | AMWA Water Policy Conference | 2024-03-18 | 2024-03-20 |
| American Water Works Association, New Jersey Section |
AWWA NJ Annual Conference |
2024-03-19 | 2024-03-22 |
| American Water Works Association, Arizona Section | AZ-AWWA Water Annual Research Symposium | 2024-03-22 | 2024-03-22 |
| American Water Resources Association | AWRA Geospatial Water Technology Conference | 2024-03-25 | 2024-03-27 |
| Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania | ESWP Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference | 2024-03-25 | 2024-03-27 |