Earlier this summer, California’s State Water Board set in motion a significant precedent by adopting urban water conservation regulations designed to make water conservation “a California way of life.” Rather than merely request voluntary action, the mandate requires that 405 urban water suppliers—serving 95% of the state’s population—meet conservation targets starting in 2027. This shift from voluntary drought-driven restrictions to… Continue reading Mandating Water Conservation: California Takes Leading Role in Long-Term U.S. Water Strategy
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Every Drop Counts: Spain and Italy Get Serious with Leakage Management
While the broader public thinks of “water” as a single issue, in reality, water is more complex. The 2023 AquaTech trade show and conference in Amsterdam addressed a broad range of water issues organized into four key segments: Clean Water, Wastewater, Industrial & Corporate Water, and Digital Water. Water scarcity, partly due to water loss, is perhaps the most pressing… Continue reading Every Drop Counts: Spain and Italy Get Serious with Leakage Management
Wastewater Emerges as a Growth Market for Investment
From a market research perspective, the municipal wastewater sector lives in the shadows of its water counterpart. This extends from fewer media hits and public conversations to the limited availability of wastewater datasets essential for market development. What’s the story behind this? To begin, the big picture of wastewater treatment in the U.S. is far… Continue reading Wastewater Emerges as a Growth Market for Investment
To In-house or Outsource? This Is the Question for Many Municipal Water and Wastewater Utilities
For most of us, turning on the faucet or flushing the toilet is something to which we give little thought—that is, until these everyday functions cease to work properly. Recent news stories of operational water & wastewater failures at the utility level have highlighted the criticality of utility operations & maintenance (O&M) in places like Jackson,… Continue reading To In-house or Outsource? This Is the Question for Many Municipal Water and Wastewater Utilities
Gripped by Polarization, U.K. Water Sector Needs Stability
The recent proposal by the British Environment Secretary to raise the maximum cap on civil penalties for water pollution incidents—a 1,000-fold increase from £250,000 up to £250 million per violation—now adds to the list of forces influencing the U.K. water sector. The October 3rd proposal was released the same day that British regulatory authorities announced eleven water companies… Continue reading Gripped by Polarization, U.K. Water Sector Needs Stability
Policy Leadership Key to Water Reuse Development in Europe
Currently, more than 700 water reuse projects in Europe are garnering significant attention in the wake of drought and extremely high temperatures that swept across the continent during the summer of 2022. As if the global supply chains don’t already have enough challenges, a host of water-related disruptions are altering river transport, power generation, and agriculture output shining a… Continue reading Policy Leadership Key to Water Reuse Development in Europe
Where Are the Emerging Market Opportunities for Digital Water?
When we talk about the digital transformation of the water industry, the focus often turns to advanced economies in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. And not without reason—countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia account for the lion’s share of companies, project implementations, M&A deals, and venture investments that Bluefield has… Continue reading Where Are the Emerging Market Opportunities for Digital Water?
The Hydrogen Economy: Realizing the Water Sector’s Crucial Role in the Energy Transition
Bluefield’s team is always tracking global events and their potential impacts on water, and more and more headlines are centering around hydrogen as the new fuel of choice that produces net zero emissions. The U.S. government is on board as well. In our recent water-focused analysis of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, US$10.8 billion was… Continue reading The Hydrogen Economy: Realizing the Water Sector’s Crucial Role in the Energy Transition
Better Business? PepsiCo Looks to Reduce Water Consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa
According to the World Economic Forum’s The Global Risks Report 2021, a “global risk” is defined as an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, can cause significant negative impact for several countries or industries within the next 10 years. Water crises and water-related events (e.g., extreme weather, climate action failure, and natural disasters)… Continue reading Better Business? PepsiCo Looks to Reduce Water Consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa
Water to Benefit from Beyond the Obvious in Washington’s Proposed Infrastructure Plan
The Biden Administration laid out its initial US$2 trillion proposal, The American Jobs Plan, to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, and it reaffirms Bluefield’s optimism about the prospects for the water sector. Its potential benefits for water companies and organizations are wide-sweeping, from addressing water quality (e.g., lead service line replacements) to modernizing critical infrastructure (e.g., energy,… Continue reading Water to Benefit from Beyond the Obvious in Washington’s Proposed Infrastructure Plan
