OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 4, 2024--
Against the backdrop of consistent concerns plaguing the U.S. water industry — aging workforce and infrastructure, along with the ongoing threat of natural disasters worsening by climate change — the sector continues to evolve in working to address an onslaught of change, according to Black & Veatch’s newly released 2024 Water Report.
The report, based on expert analyses of a survey of roughly 630 U.S. water industry stakeholders, details complex U.S. water, wastewater and stormwater sectors that are trying to muscle through a tug of war of conflicting priorities. Yet opportunity exists, with the promise of digital technologies and innovations leading the list of ways in which operators can make better decisions and get the most of their graying assets and limited resources.
Among sustainability, workforce and climate change, a few new themes took center stage this year, including contaminants and cybersecurity. In April, the federal government announced a regulatory limit for all municipal water systems for six perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” And on the increasingly pressing matter of cybersecurity, a March letter by the Biden administration asked all governors to bolster security in their states for water and wastewater systems, warning that “disabling cyberattacks” are targeting utilities across the country, with the trend threatening to “impose significant costs on affected communities.”
“As the headwinds whirl, the industry on many metrics appears to be better positioning itself against the challenges of the times, either independently or with outside guidance from experts like Black & Veatch,” said Mike Orth, president of Black & Veatch’s governments and communities business. “Slowly but surely, U.S. water utilities are discovering and pursuing new ways of doing business by leveraging integrated approaches to both planning and delivering strategic, financial and operational resilience.”
The new report offers a comprehensive overview of what’s changed — and what has not — in an industry with enormous potential to accelerate innovation in strategy, operations and funding.
Some other key findings of the report include:
Contact Black & Veatch for more information.
Editor’s Notes:
About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.
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KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA KANSAS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CLIMATE CHANGE DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES SECURITY UTILITIES NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENT ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY
SOURCE: Black & Veatch
Copyright Business Wire 2024.
PUB: 06/04/2024 10:00 AM/DISC: 06/04/2024 10:02 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240604157238/en