Dimensions - Fall 2012 - 1
spotli g h t on t h e sta f f
Glenn Pearson
Manager, Water Service Line
I recently read an article titled “U.S. Water Infrastructure Needs: The Private Funding Gap.”1 As it explains, there appears to be a lot of penned up cash on the private market looking for a good project to fund. It also details current measures that Congress has considered or is considering to create funding for infrastructure improvements, such as the “Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovations Authority” known as WIFIA, that could provide U.S. Treasury loans or other credit support to entities for water projects. My own view is that even though private funding is available, the hurdles to make private funding available to public agencies are three-fold: 1. Would all states support a federal law and create legislation to allow Public-Private Partnership (P3) financing for water infrastructure? 2. For the private investor, is there sufficient potential return in funding restoration and rehabilitation-type projects over more common investments? Public water and wastewater utilities typically model their operations like non-profits. Billing rates would generally need to be increased by large percentages. 3. Bond ratings of some of the larger utilities, and many of the smaller ones, have been downgraded in recent years. This makes the agency less anxious to borrow money for debt reasons and makes potential investors more concerned about the credit-worthiness of the underlying investment. Ultimately, no matter how public utilities are structured or funded, they will have to exercise some creative thinking to maintain and improve levels of service, requiring a high competency of project and facility management. When I became the water service line leader a little more than a year ago, I focused on reaching out beyond our water/wastewater expertise. I look forward to continuing to apply our organization’s facility and asset management, geospatial information, and planning knowledge to the benefit of our clients as we help them meet these challenges.
Freedman, John. “U.S. Water Infrastructure Needs: The Private Funding Gap.” Environmental Leader. September 11, 2012.
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Fall 2012
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIwKQogq084&feature=plcp
Dimensions - Fall 2012
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dimensions - Fall 2012
Dimensions - Fall 2012
Spotlight on the Staff: Glenn Pearson
Contents
Lerner Enterprises Transforms a Landmark
Committing to the Gulf: Q&A with Bryon Griffith
Team Effort: Agencies Turn to Alternative Delivery
Intelligent Modeling
Performance Briefs
2200 Pennsylvania Avenue Opens in D.C.
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Dimensions - Fall 2012
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Cover2
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Contents
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Lerner Enterprises Transforms a Landmark
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Committing to the Gulf: Q&A with Bryon Griffith
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Team Effort: Agencies Turn to Alternative Delivery
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - 5
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - 6
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - 7
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Intelligent Modeling
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - Performance Briefs
Dimensions - Fall 2012 - 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue Opens in D.C.
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