The Future of Water

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...

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 produ...

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 P...

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 an...

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 projec...

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...

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, wh...

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...

How are IIJA legislated funds unfolding? From California to Maine, total announced funding associated with the legislation had reached US$186.3 billion. Of this total, US$10.5 billion has been announced for water-designated projects. At the same time, the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water has released implementation guidelines for the Build America, Buy America (BABA...

PFAS is the water industry topic du jour, shaped by lawsuits, emerging regulations, infrastructure investment and disadvantaged communities. So far, however, much of the focus has been on the U.S. drinking water sector. But these emerging contaminants are impacting water supplies and, as a result, policy makers in Europe and Australia.   Varied approaches to tackle PFAS exist across the globe, inc...

Shaped by a growing demand for water & wastewater infrastructure investment and an increasingly favorable policy landscape, private participation among U.S. utilities is on the rise. Bluefield's water experts discuss their recent analysis of investor-owned utilities' strategies, highlighting M&A trends and how companies—from American Water to private equity-backed firms—are approaching the...

Bluefield’s industrial water experts breakdown their recent analysis of 35 large U.S. cities with climate action plans which evaluates greenhouse emissions, energy use, reduction strategies, and water management positions. This discussion provides insight into why more U.S. cities are not developing climate action plans but also the variation in approaches for those cities with mitigation strategi...

In this episode, our data team discusses Bluefield's utility data and details the journey to collect and inventory  747 capital improvement plans that have been scrubbed and cleaned for Bluefield clients. This discussion provides insights into what the data is, the value of the data, and how Bluefield clients are using this bottom-up, detailed information. Reese Tisdale speaks with John Berryman a...

The Bluefield team talks mergers and acquisition trends across the global water sector, providing insight into the slow down of deal flow activity. Reese Tisdale and Steph Aldock discusses the impacts of big deals, new market entrants, and the impact of global economic volatility. While it seems like the bottom may have fallen out of the market, positive signals are ahead.           As Reese says,...

The Bluefield team discusses their take on private participation in water, breaking down the where and who is leading the way. The discussion builds off of Bluefield’s analysis of investor-owned utilities, contract operations firms, and market analysis. What is the share of private utility ownership in the U.S.?   What is the impact of the Corix/ SouthWest Water deal and how is deal flow overall?...

Bluefield's water experts breakdown the how and what's behind the ongoing water and wastewater crisis in the capital city of Jackson, MS. From drinking water quality issues to infrastructure funding to wastewater challenges, Reese Tisdale discusses the whole convergence of water-related challenges facing water utilities and disadvantaged communities. If you enjoy listening to The Future of Water P...

Digital technology is everywhere, including for water applications. A lot is happening when it comes to hardware, software, and services. Bluefield water experts dive into the role of engineering firms and discuss market challenges, strategic shifts, spinouts, recent M&A, and strategic announcements by firms active in water. Podcast host,  Reese Tisdale , leads this discussion with Senior Rese...

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) represents the biggest move by the federal government to address climate change. Not only does it support an energy transition that has been in the making for decades, it opens the door to new tech, new business models, and, for Bluefield, a pivot towards new opportunities in water. Podcast host,  Reese Tisdale , and Sales Director John Berryman take on the IRA an...

Unusually hot temperatures and droughts are affecting regions all over the world from Europe, South Asia, Iraq to Mexico–particularly affecting agricultural industries. New data from the United Nations shows that the number and duration of droughts are on the rise. Bluefield’s water experts discuss how prolonged droughts will affect water consumption for municipalities, but also for the agricultur...

The effects of climate change, population growth, and the rise of industrialization have played a significant role in water scarcity and have had a substantial impact on water demand. Bluefield’s water experts discuss findings from their recent analysis of large scale global desalination market, project activity, ownership trends, and technology shifts. In today’s episode,  Reese Tisdale  is joine...

Bluefield’s Reese Tisdale , Eric Bindler , and Greg Goodwin discuss the Build America, Buy America Act and its implications for the water sector in the U.S. While designed to create an opportunity to increase domestic manufacturing, support the creation of jobs, and strengthen U.S. supply chains, it arrives at a time in which inflation and supply chain bottlenecks are of greater concern. Bluefield...

In this milestone, 50th episode, the Bluefield team looks farther ahead to talk about global disruption, potential winners & losers, and critical trends shaping the future of water. Podcast host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield’s Steph Aldock , Keith Hays , and Eric Bindler . If you enjoy listening to The Future of Water Podcast, please tell a friend or colleague, and if you haven’t alread...

Bluefield's water experts discuss the mixed signals being received from California, in terms of drought, desalination, and the interconnection between water and power. This discussion identifies the challenges and opportunities for water management, using California as a potential bellwether for the U.S., if not the rest of the world.  

Bluefield’s water experts discuss key trends shaping water infrastructure, investment, and strategies over the next three to five years, framing the longer-term market outlook for the water sector. Bluefield’s Sales Director John Berryman and Senior Reserach Director Eric Bindler join Podcast host Reese Tisdale on this discussion. If you enjoy listening to The Future of Water Podcast, please tell...

Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield Industrial Water Analyst Amber Walsh to discuss recent analysis on r esidential water management and reuse . A new group of firms, globally, are emerging to capture household greywater for non-potable applications. But they are also doing so through key, if not critical, partnerships. In this episode, Reese and Amber discuss residential reuse — the market lands...