Bluefield's latest remediation forecast for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has surged to US$13.5 billion by 2030 in the wake of anticipated maximum contamination limits (MCLs) for drinking water and a significant legal settlement involving 3M in South Carolina. Now, with the EPA confirming these unprecedented contaminant limits, a fresh wave of discussions emerge, touching upon the EPA's authority, states' rights, and the subsequent course of action including the management and respo...
Apr 23, 2024•27 min
While artificial intelligence (AI) has indeed become a prevalent buzzword in many regards, capturing headlines over the past 12 to 18 months, its potential impact remains significant. There are real applications and impacts that are unfolding for AI, including those in the water and wastewater sectors. In the U.S. utility construction sector—which is facing chronic labor shortages amid historic levels of federal infrastructure investment—AI can serve as a powerful tool for increasing productivit...
Apr 09, 2024•54 min
Public sector water and wastewater project owners, engineering & design firms, and contractors are facing cost overruns, schedule delays, and contractual disputes that are slowing the execution and delivery of critical infrastructure. These factors have prompted the development of new policies and project experiences, accelerating collaborative project delivery approaches. The methods include design-build, progressive design-build, construction manager at-risk approaches, and public-private ...
Mar 26, 2024•26 min
A number of Bluefield clients have enquired about the status of IIJA project funds. Each program stands in terms of four funding phases: appropriated, announced, obligated, outlaid. Podcast host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield Senior Analyst Isabel Kezman to discuss recent analysis of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act . In this episode, Bluefield's water experts speak on the pace of project activity and funding timeline from its legislation in November 2021 to now. If you enjoy lis...
Mar 12, 2024•42 min
The global private equity (PE) sector has grown thirteenfold since 2000, wielding increasing influence over critical infrastructure sectors. The proliferation of digital technologies across the water industry has opened new growth avenues for select PE investors. Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield Analyst Christine Ow, to discuss her recent research on the role of PE firms in the digital water segment. Our Bluefield water experts once again take a step back and define “Digital Water", and then...
Feb 27, 2024•32 min
Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield Senior Analyst Charlie Suse to discuss recent research on Investor-Owned Utilities in water. Reese and Charlie spell out Bluefield's definition of "Private Water", followed by a dive into the market outlook, including: Utility M&A trends, what companies are paying for water systems, the influential players in the private water space, and where the market is heading through M&A, geographic shifts, and policy changes. Reese also provides some key takeaw...
Feb 13, 2024•32 min
The eight Japanese trading companies, also known as “sogo shosha”, are Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui Corporation, Hitachi Corporation, Itochu Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, Marubeni Corporation, Toyota Tsusho, and Sojitz Corporation. Together these firms reported nearly US$600 billion in assets under management in 2023. These companies are global, with positions in key markets geographically, and are a unique group with a number of investments in water. Bluefield President and Podcast Host ...
Jan 30, 2024•30 min
Badger Meter, a leading manufacturer of water metering products, has recently acquired the Telog brand of RTUs (remote telemetry units) and associated monitoring software from Trimble. Podcast host and Bluefield President Reese Tisdale , sits down with Bluefield's Senior Research Director Eric Bindler, to shed some light on the transaction, what this signals to the water market, and who and which companies should take notice. Badger Meter has become a poster child for an incumbent water infrastr...
Jan 16, 2024•42 min
In this first episode of 2024, podcast host Reese Tisdale chats with two members of Bluefield's Europe team, Chloé Meyer and Keith Hays, to get their on-the-ground perspectives of key water sector trends in the EU. From water quality to reuse to circular economy, Bluefield's water experts discuss what, if any, the implications are for water management in relation to energy prices and the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This discussion addresses three major questions: What are some of the biggest factor...
Jan 02, 2024•48 min
In this episode, Bluefield water experts discuss key themes in industrial water from this past quarter. Podcast Host Reese Tisdale , sits down with Bluefield Senior Analyst Amber Walsh, to discuss their findings. 3 major takeaways below: There has been a recent rise of public private partnerships for water projects and industrial companies partnering with water utilities. Opportunities for mobile water treatment are increasing. As businesses seek to insulate themselves from water-related risks, ...
Dec 12, 2023•30 min
The Future of Water Podcast host, Reese Tisdale , and Senior Water Analyst Charlie Suse, discuss findings and takeaways from Bluefield's Water & Sewer Rate Index , published earlier this month. Over the past 12 years, combined household water and sewer bills for a typical U.S. household has increased by a total of 54.8%, or an average of 4.1% each year. From 2022 to 2023, combined household water and sewer bills increased by 3.9%, down slightly from the 4.3% increase observed from 2021 to 20...
Nov 27, 2023•22 min
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that employment of water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators is projected to decline 6% from 2022 to 2032. This news shines the spotlight on a critical infrastructure sector that faces mounting challenges, from aging infrastructure assets to emerging contaminants (i.e., PFAS). As water and wastewater treatment plants become more advanced with automated systems to manage treatment processes, fewer workers may be needed. In tod...
Nov 15, 2023•44 min•Ep. 82
Two Montreal-based firms have been recently taken private. On 2 October 2023, Ember Infrastructure announced it would acquire H2O Innovation Inc., a Canadian water solutions provider. A few weeks later, LOGISTEC entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by private equity firm Blue Wolf Capital Partners and infrastructure investment firm Stonepeak. The LOGISTEC acquisition , one of seven “take-private” water deals tracked this year, highlights the increasing role of private equity in wat...
Oct 31, 2023•27 min
What is saltwater intrusion and how common is it? The city of New Orleans has been faced with a national emergency as a saltwater wedge had been expected to reach the area impacting the drinking water supply of 1.2 million people. If contaminated, it could be weeks or months before freshwater returns, unless there is significant rainfall, leaders say. Most coastal regions are always under the threat of saline intrusion and, in fact, many prominent, high-population regions are facing this issue l...
Oct 09, 2023•27 min
In today's episode, Reese Tisdale and Senior Municipal Water Analyst Isabel Kezman provide a financial overview of the U.S. water industry discussing the markets, challenges, and regional differences. Isabel breaks down regional footprints of key federal, state, and private funding sources for the water sector. This episode highlights examples of innovative utility funding and financing strategies, such as green bonds, innovative rate structures, public-private partnerships, financial technology...
Oct 03, 2023•31 min
Taking a different approach on this episode, Reese Tisdale flies solo and shares some perspectives from recent analysis presented to clients by Bluefield Research's team of water experts . Three areas of discussion in this episode: Utility Capital Improvement Plans: Bluefield’s team of water experts has dedicated significant time and resources to supporting companies with bottom-up data collection and analysis of the capital improvement plans (CIPs) of 763 large and mid-sized water, wastewater, ...
Sep 19, 2023•25 min
The Future of Water host, Reese Tisdale , talks with Bluefield's Senior Analyst Ethan Edwards about the Aegion deal, M&A, and the trenchless pipe rehabilitation market. In this episode, the Bluefield team dives into Aegion's acquisition of Portland Utilities Construction Company (PUCC), a trenchless service provider specializing in cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) and pipe bursting. PUCC serves the municipal market in Texas and the southeastern U.S. PUCC is Aegion’s sixth deal since 2021 and has s...
Sep 05, 2023•19 min
Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos has recently acquired U.K.-based telemetry and analytics firm Metasphere from private equity investor XPV Water Partners. Grundfos has in recent years, expanded its footprint from its core pump offerings for water network management and treatment toward digital offerings. Metasphere’s specific experience with wastewater networks especially in the U.K. and Australia, will extend Grundfos’ portfolio beyond pumps and deeper into network monitoring and operations. A...
Aug 08, 2023•27 min
In Europe, the need for sustainable water management solutions has been magnified by last summer’s drought and record-breaking temperatures. The increasing severity of water stress remains a key driver behind the implementation of wastewater reuse. Particularly, in Southern Europe where water stress is more pronounced, the water reuse market has witnessed greater development, although with challenges associated with funding and regulations. As a consequence, some Mediterranean countries have bec...
Jul 25, 2023•41 min
The potential collapse of Thames Water is all over the news and has raised alarm bells on many fronts. Thames Water serves approximately 15 million people across greater London. Not a small system by any comparison, and it seems to be sinking under a £14 billion debt load, thereby requiring more money. In this episode, Bluefield's water experts shed some light on what has led up to this crisis and discuss best possible steps for Thames Water's debt problem. Bluefield co-founders Reese Tisdale an...
Jul 11, 2023•41 min
In recent weeks, both the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Black & Veatch released their industry surveys of the market. We thought it might be interesting to dig in a bit, and share Bluefield perspectives. Bluefield's water experts discuss the survey findings and breakdown the top water industry issues: aging water infrastructure, supply chain challenges, cybersecurity, financing capital improvements, climate change, pollution. How did these industry issues rank? Were there any s...
Jun 20, 2023•47 min
There are over 72,000 community water systems and wastewater treatment facilities in the U.S. But what is the addressable market opportunity for water and wastewater for utilities and investors? And how do the opportunities vary by utility ownership, system size, and state? Our clients have been asking Bluefield to size the municipal water and wastewater sectors to help support their market entry, investment, and consolidation strategies. In this case, the magic number is US$977 billion. What's ...
Jun 06, 2023•29 min
Jacobs, one of the leading engineering firms in water, announced plans to spinout its Critical Mission Solutions business unit. With this move, the company streamlines their business focus, including on water, and boosts share price in the wake of higher margins and growth. On 9 May, Jacobs announced plans to separate its CMS, or Critical Mission Solutions, business. In doing so, it aims to carve out two businesses that are demonstrating different margins and growth rates. CMS, which generated a...
May 23, 2023•26 min
The semiconductor market is a buzz with activity as high demand—primarily driven by consumer electronics and automotive sectors—and policy, namely the U.S. and the EU Chips Acts, come together to create a favorable environment for billion dollar investments for new semiconductor manufacturing plants. In the wake of global supply chain bottlenecks, semiconductor manufacturers are accelerating production to meet chip quotas. The US$573 billion semiconductor industry is expected to exceed US$1 tril...
May 02, 2023•27 min
Bluefield's water experts discuss the European Chemical Agency's (ECHA) recent launch of a six-month evaluation to review a proposal for restricting the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The proposal, submitted by the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, is representative of public concerns that are escalating in the EU and applies to both the production and use of PFAS in products, including those that are imported into the European Union. The initiative signals t...
Apr 18, 2023•27 min
On 20 March 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments of Arizona v. Navajo Nation , a dispute over Colorado River water rights. The court’s decision could have significant implications for the water rights of Tribes across the country. Navajo Nation is one of the Indian Health Service (IHS) administrative areas with the greatest need for water and wastewater infrastructure construction and rehabilitation. Recent federal funding outlays—including the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Job...
Apr 04, 2023•25 min
The global water metering market is at an inflection point, as a host of new digitally enabled technologies and business models transform global water utilities’ relationships with their meters and meter providers. Metering vendors face a host of macroeconomic, regulatory, and competitive shifts. COVID-related supply chain disruptions and component shortages have roiled the sector, delaying projects and new product development even as post-pandemic stimulus funding drives record levels of meter ...
Mar 21, 2023•38 min
Charlie Suse's year-end analysis of investor owned utilities has revealed a stabilization of M&A activity among IOUs, with a notable decrease in 2022 compared to the previous year. During this time period, Texas has emerged as a major hub for such acquisitions, and there was a significant rise in fair market value (FMV) deals, indicating a streamlining of the regulatory process. Key questions asked, include: What were the most active states for IOU acquisitions in 2022? Who were the most agg...
Feb 28, 2023•19 min
Bluefield's Amber Walsh has been examining corporate sustainability, specifically focusing on how companies minimize their environmental impact, particularly in relation to their water footprint. While climate and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have traditionally been the primary focus of sustainability, water issues are gaining attention due to their financial implications and public pressure, which can affect brand perception. Policy mandates, such as those requiring reporting, are seen as a d...
Feb 14, 2023•29 min
On 24 January 2023, US-based Xylem Inc. and Evoqua announced an agreement in which Xylem will acquire Evoqua in an all-stock transaction for an enterprise value of approximately US$7.5 billion. The combination unlocks potential growth opportunities for Xylem in industrial markets and in water quality, both of which are stronger markets for Evoqua. Pure-play water deals of this size in the water sector are infrequent, at best. Bluefield’s water experts break down the terms of the deal and analyze...
Jan 31, 2023•30 min
