Perhaps the three most important questions facing a municipal water department today are, ?How do you predict how long our water distribution system will last?,? ?When must we start planning for replacement?? and ?What?s the true cost over the lifetime of the system??

In the last issue of UIM we outlined the key trends and developments taking place in the water market ? including the recent surge of interest by investors looking to gain a foothold in the sector. In this issue, we take a closer look at other issues shaping the water market, namely ownership changes and industry consolidation.

Godwin Pumps, manufacturer of the Dri-Prime automatic self-priming, dry-running pump continues to support emergency relief efforts throughout the East Coast after Hurricane Irene.

RJN Group, Inc. (RJN) is presently in the middle of a year-long sanitary sewer evaluation study (SSES) in the City of Irving?s Southwest Basin. The SSES began in January of this year and is scheduled for completion by the end of December.

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS), the world?s largest manufacturer of corrugated plastic pipe, announced plans for a new world-class manufacturing facility in Hampton, Iowa. The new plant will be fully operational by mid-September.

Like many other cities in North America, Winnipeg, Manitoba, found itself in need of updating its wastewater infrastructure to keep pace with growth and age, as well as meet regulatory requirements. In all, the city was looking at a $751 million price tag on a capital improvement program for sewage treatment construction costs.

With population growth and climate changes threatening the U.S. water supply, desalination is a viable solution to augment groundwater and surface water supplies for drinking water.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over the past 50 years, the U.S. population has doubled in size and its thirst for water has tripled. Water usage in the next 25 years is expected to climb another 50 percent.

Several years ago, an article was featured that reviewed the U.S. Green Building Council?s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program as a tool to encourage environmentally compatible elements in buildings, including improved energy and water efficiencies.