From the Publisher: Finally, a Breakthrough in Water and Wastewater Funding

There’s been developments recently with regards to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), and it could lead to some good news for trenchless projects. The U.S. EPA has selected 12 projects across nine states to apply for the first-ever loans from the WIFIA program. The potential applicants were selected from a group of projects that represent large and small communities from across the United States that submitted letters of interest to EPA in April 2017. Overall, the projects are seeking $2.3 billion in loans as part of $5.1 billion in total project costs. This reflects the provision that the maximum portion of an eligible project cost cannot be any greater than 49 percent funded through WIFIA.

Trenchless work could be incorporated into some of these projects, particularly as part of CSO programs in St. Louis and Baltimore — we’ll have to wait and see.

Established in 2014, WIFIA didn’t appropriate funds to make loans until FY17 when Congress approved $25 billion for the program. WIFIA is modeled after the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. In a peculiar sort of way, WIFIA is benefiting from the federal government’s experience in assisting in financing roads and bridges.

Veterans in Trenchless

November is a month in which the United States honors those who have served in the military with Veterans Day — Nov. 11. In our November issue, we also want to pay homage to our veterans (U.S. and Canada), in particular those in the trenchless industry who have served. We are putting together a special section in the issue, spotlighting a few of our trenchless professionals who have served in the military. We have created a special online database where trenchless veterans can easily include their information about their service, such as branch of service, where you were stationed, special commendations, etc.
Make sure you and your co-workers are included in this online roll call of trenchless military vets by going to trenchlesstechnology.com/honoring-veterans — takes just a few minutes to complete the form.
Our veterans deserve our unwavering respect, admiration and appreciation. Our November issue is just one small way we can say thanks for their years of service.

Pipe Relining Guide

For many of our readers, when your September issue arrives, you will also receive our annual Pipe Relining Guide. This special supplement is chock full of interesting case studies, as well as an overview of the current pipe relining market.

RELATED: Read the 2017 Pipe Relining Guide Digital Edition

World Trenchless Day

2017 marks the second annual World Trenchless Day, the international day of recognizing the importance of trenchless technology. World Trenchless Day is held annually on the fourth Thursday of September; this year it is Sept. 28. I hope you and your company celebrate this in a special way. This is our magazine’s favorite day!

For our part, we use World Trenchless Day to announce our winners of the Trenchless Technology Projects of the Year for Rehabilitation and New Installation. These outstanding projects will also be featured in our October issue. We also have a fun social media campaign, inviting you via Twitter and Facebook to tell the world why you love trenchless in four words — #IGoTrenchlessin4Words. This is a fun opportunity to be creative in sharing why you love trenchless technology. I hope everyone takes time to recognize this special industry we are all a part of each year.

Onward to World Trenchless Day 2018: Sept. 27!

Enjoy the fall season,

Bernard P. Krzys
Publisher