Water & Wastewater Market Recap, July 2023

The July 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.

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 Water, Light and Power, Illinois, Planned Capital Program Increased by 23%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2028 fiscal years, City Water, Light and Power (CWLP), Illinois, detailed plans to spend nearly $724 million on capital projects, an increase of 23% from $586 million in its 2023-2027 CIP. The current and prior CIP have 598 line items. The table below breaks down CWLP’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Increase Due to New and Ongoing Projects

Planned spending in the Electric business area increased largely by 28%. The increase goes towards new projects, including the Closure of Ash Ponds, worth $20 million; the Engineering/Operations Control Center, $17 million; and the Environmental Compliance Upgrade Project, $10 million. The water category also increased due to ongoing projects that increased in funding.

Over $100 Million for Water Reclamation Plant Project

City Water, Light, and Power has two notable projects valued at over $20 million. The largest project is the Hunter Lake Construction, worth $100 million, under the Water category. This project includes the contractor costs. The second one is under the Electric category, the Closure of Ash Ponds, including Dallman Units 31, 32 & 33, worth $20 million.

Click Here to See City Water, Light and Power, Illinois CIP

Helix Water District, California, Planned Capital Expenditure Increased By 27%

In the CIP covering the 2024-2028 fiscal years, City Water, Light and Power (CWLP), Illinois detailed plans to spend nearly $724 million on capital projects, an increase of 23% from $586 million in its 2023-2027 CIP. The current and prior CIP have 598 line items. The table below breaks down CWLP’s planned capital spending by business area for its last two CIPs.

Substantial Increase Due to New Projects

The Helix Water District has only one business area, and it increased by 27% in the recent CIP. The increase goes to new projects, including Windsor and Aldwych Tanks Recoating, worth $15 million.

Three Notable Projects Valued at More Than $10 Million

Three notable projects in the recent CIP are valued at over $10 million. The largest project is the recoating of Windsor and Aldwych Tanks, part of the tank maintenance program worth $15 million. In addition, the construction of the Chet Harritt Pump Station and the Aqueduct 1 Cathodic Protection are worth $12 million, respectively.

Click Here to See Helix Water District, California, CIP

Notable M&A

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

• On July 31, 2023, Aegion Corporation announced the acquisition of Portland Utilities Construction Company, a preferred underground utility contractor in the Southeast and Texas. Portland Utilities Construction Company, LLC (PUCC) plans to operate under its current company name in the near term.

What We Are Reading

Here are some recent articles our team has been reading:

• EPA invests $278 million to improve water infrastructure for Tribes, Alaska Native Villages
• New York governor approves $66 million for water infrastructure projects
• EPA grants $5.6 million to Alaska to inventory drinking water service lines for lead in nearly 270 tribal and small disadvantaged communities  
• Granite selected for $48 million flood control project in Texas
• Report: An Estimated One in Five New Yorkers May Be Drinking Water from Lead Service Lines
• EGLE announces $20+ million in recent MI Clean Water grants to help Michigan communities upgrade water infrastructure, protect health and the environment
• New study finds PFAS "forever chemicals" in drinking water from 45% of faucets across U.S.
• City of Sandy must pay $500,000 in penalties, limit sewer hookups under new agreement with EPA, USDOJ, DEQ
• EPA Proposes to Streamline Requirements for States and Tribes, Strengthen Co-Regulator Partnerships to Protect Nation’s Waters
• Essential Utilities acquires Union Rome Sewer system for $25.5 million
• Gowanus, N.Y. completes $54 million storm sewer project to reduce flooding
• Lynchburg, Va., plans $100 million tunnel project to conquer sewer overflow and CSO compliance
• Biden-Harris Administration Announces $305 Million in WIFIA Loans for Water Supply Sustainability in Central Florida
• Wisconsin residents file $42.4 million lawsuit over PFAS-polluted groundwater
• USGS study estimates 45% of tap water has PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ present
• Mesa, Ariz., commences $180 million pipeline project to bolster water supply amid drought
• 22 attorneys urge federal court to reject $10.3 billion PFAS contamination settlement
• New Jersey American Water identifies over 24,000 lead water service lines in need of replacement
• Signal Mountain, Tenn., plans $40 million sewer upgrade to address overflow issue
• Bloomfield Township's NPDES permit relies on new ordinance for stormwater control
• Middlesex Water begins service of $52M plant to treat PFOA in groundwater
• EPA rule change could require JWSC to replace private water lines
• Funding Poised to Dry Up for Water Projects in Ohio and Other States if Proposed Budget Cuts Become Law
• Portland, Ore., Picks Contractors for $1.8B in Water Projects

Meeting Planner

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 water and wastewater 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 August and September 2023