The Water Values

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Thought leaders in the water industry join Dave McGimpsey to discuss important questions and systemic challenges facing the water utility industry. Hear how the panel and the event audience exchange ideas about the latest impact of regulations on water utility funding and operations, and how to best to educate consumers and communicate across the industry to better meet water challenges together.

In this session, you’ll learn about:

• The impact of the Safe Drinking Water Act and future regulations on rates
• How regulatory decisions are based upon science
• The investment required to establish water regulations
• Gaining regulatory approval for the utility funding
• How regulators balance the needs of keeping rates affordable for customers and keeping water utilities financially healthy.
• How additional regulations impact how smaller utilities function
• How consolidation might ease the financial burden of rate impacts of regulation
• Why the industry faces challenges to effectively consolidate utilities and achieve true economies of scale to stay both compliant and financially and operationally sound
• The systemic problem facing the water utility financing structure in the U.S.
• Ideas for how to solve water utility challenges
• How utilities can help customers understand water use, regulation and cost related to their community and household
• The cost structure water treatment and delivery
• The Safe Drinking Water Act’s regulation of contaminants
• What additional regulation of contaminants can we expect?
• The role of Congress and the EPA in identifying and regulating contaminants
• Contaminants currently under review
• How utilities plan and pay for additional drinking water regulations
• Methods to protect water sources from contamination
• The pharmaceutical and skin care product chemicals being introduced into the water supply
• How drinking water and wastewater utilities can work together to manage regulation and treatment costs
• Audience Q&A: discussion about how to assign compliance and cost responsibilities, economic and political impacts to the water industry, and more.

Resources and links mentioned in or relevant to this session include:

• National Association of Water Companies (NAWC)
• Environmental Protection Agency -  Water
• Clean Water Act
• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
• Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA)
• Middlesex Water Company
• The Big Thirst by Charles Fishman
• Water Research Foundation
• Institute of Public Utilities Michigan State University
• U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
• National Drinking Water Advisory Council

Transcript

Click here to download the Transcript for Session 35 of The Water Values Podcast.

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