01
Key Developments
Free
Camden, New Jersey: American Water’s 10 Year Upgrade Plan
What's New? American Water Works announced a 10-year plan to invest between $46-48 billion in regulated water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades across its 14-state footprint, focusing on pipe replacement, treatment improvements, and resiliency measures.
Why It Matters: This long horizon capital plan signals sustained utility-led spending on main replacement, leak reduction, and modernization, complementing federal IIJA funds and reinforcing the role of large investor-owned systems in driving asset renewal and climate resilience.
What's Next? American Water will phase projects across multiple state regulatory jurisdictions, seeking timely rate recovery while deploying advanced sensors and monitoring to target high-risk assets and demonstrate efficiency gains to commissions and investors.
Why It Matters: This long horizon capital plan signals sustained utility-led spending on main replacement, leak reduction, and modernization, complementing federal IIJA funds and reinforcing the role of large investor-owned systems in driving asset renewal and climate resilience.
What's Next? American Water will phase projects across multiple state regulatory jurisdictions, seeking timely rate recovery while deploying advanced sensors and monitoring to target high-risk assets and demonstrate efficiency gains to commissions and investors.
National (Small and Rural Systems): EPA RealWaterTA Grants
What's New? EPA opened a $30.7 million grant opportunity under its RealWaterTA Initiative to fund technical assistance and training for small drinking water and wastewater systems and private well owners, with up to five awards to eligible nonprofits and institutions.
Why It Matters: The program targets persistent capacity gaps in small and rural communities, where limited staffing and financial resources constrain compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and limit access to infrastructure funding and asset management best practices.
What's Next? Applicants have a 30-day window on Grants.gov, after which EPA will select awardees to deliver on the ground engineering, operational support, and financial planning services that help small systems maintain regulatory compliance and plan future capital projects.
Why It Matters: The program targets persistent capacity gaps in small and rural communities, where limited staffing and financial resources constrain compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and limit access to infrastructure funding and asset management best practices.
What's Next? Applicants have a 30-day window on Grants.gov, after which EPA will select awardees to deliver on the ground engineering, operational support, and financial planning services that help small systems maintain regulatory compliance and plan future capital projects.
National (State and Local SRF Projects): EPA AQUARIUS Infrastructure Awards
What's New? EPA recognized 48 water infrastructure projects nationwide for excellence and innovation through its 2026 AQUARIUS awards, highlighting state and local drinking water projects financed through State Revolving Funds that improve resilience, water quality, and public health protection.
Why It Matters: Showcasing high-performing SRF-backed projects underscores how IIJA and SRF capital are translating into on-the-ground upgrades, from treatment improvements to source protection, and provides replicable models for utilities planning similar investments.
What's Next? State agencies and utilities behind the recognized projects are expected to leverage this visibility to advance additional SRF eligible work, strengthen public support for rate and bond measures, and inform future EPA guidance on effective infrastructure investments.
Why It Matters: Showcasing high-performing SRF-backed projects underscores how IIJA and SRF capital are translating into on-the-ground upgrades, from treatment improvements to source protection, and provides replicable models for utilities planning similar investments.
What's Next? State agencies and utilities behind the recognized projects are expected to leverage this visibility to advance additional SRF eligible work, strengthen public support for rate and bond measures, and inform future EPA guidance on effective infrastructure investments.
Lake Powell and Lake Mead, Southwest: Post 2026 Colorado River Operations Review — Climate / Resilience
What's New? The Bureau of Reclamation released a draft environmental impact statement in January 2026 on post 2026 operating guidelines for the Colorado River system, outlining alternatives for managing Lake Powell and Lake Mead amid prolonged drought and climate uncertainty.
Why It Matters: The draft EIS frames long-term rules for shortage sharing, reservoir releases, and cross-state risk, shaping how Lower Basin states, tribes, and Mexico will balance municipal supply reliability, hydropower, and ecosystem needs as aridification tightens system constraints.
What's Next? Reclamation launched a 45-day public comment period in early 2026, after which it will refine alternatives and move toward a final EIS and record of decision that will govern Colorado River reservoir operations when current interim guidelines expire in 2026.
Why It Matters: The draft EIS frames long-term rules for shortage sharing, reservoir releases, and cross-state risk, shaping how Lower Basin states, tribes, and Mexico will balance municipal supply reliability, hydropower, and ecosystem needs as aridification tightens system constraints.
What's Next? Reclamation launched a 45-day public comment period in early 2026, after which it will refine alternatives and move toward a final EIS and record of decision that will govern Colorado River reservoir operations when current interim guidelines expire in 2026.
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Technology Spotlight
Free
ASTERRA LeakTracer Satellite Leak Detection — New Mexico Environment Department
What It Does: LeakTracer uses satellite imagery and AI analytics to detect soil moisture patterns consistent with underground distribution system leaks, allowing rural and small water systems across New Mexico to pinpoint non-revenue water losses without extensive field surveying.
Why it Matters: By providing state-funded, no-cost leak detection to participating systems, the program helps water-stressed communities cut losses, preserve limited supplies, and support long-term implementation of New Mexico’s 50 Year Water Plan under growing drought and climate pressures.
Strategic Impact: The first phase identified dozens of leaks and demonstrated significant water savings potential, leading the state to extend LeakTracer statewide through a four-year contract that will bring satellite-enabled leak analytics to additional municipal and rural utilities.
Why it Matters: By providing state-funded, no-cost leak detection to participating systems, the program helps water-stressed communities cut losses, preserve limited supplies, and support long-term implementation of New Mexico’s 50 Year Water Plan under growing drought and climate pressures.
Strategic Impact: The first phase identified dozens of leaks and demonstrated significant water savings potential, leading the state to extend LeakTracer statewide through a four-year contract that will bring satellite-enabled leak analytics to additional municipal and rural utilities.
03
Investment Tracker
Free
Major water infrastructure projects confirmed, financed, or tendered across the United States in Q1 2026.
Arizona: Global Water Resources 2024–2025 Regulated Infrastructure Build Out
Global Water Resources · Utility capital program · Global Water Resources increased its regulated rate base assets by about $70 million over 2024–2025 through system upgrades and acquisitions in the Arizona Sun Corridor, supporting continued network expansion and consolidation in fast-growing communities.
$70m
Confirmed
Iowa: SFY 2025 Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF Program (Q4 Intended Use Plan Update)
Iowa Finance Authority / Iowa SRF Program · SRF and BIL programs · Iowa’s fourth quarter SFY 2025 Intended Use Plan update outlines added project eligibilities and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-supported funding capacity for municipal wastewater and drinking water projects scheduled through June 2025, expanding low-interest finance for local upgrades.
SRF/BIL capital
Announced
United States: Q1 2026 Municipal Water Capital Programs Highlighted by Bluefield
Bluefield Research · Mix of SRF-backed projects, municipal bonds, and utility capex programs · Bluefield’s Q1 2026 municipal water review highlights a growing pipeline of U.S. drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects, with IIJA funds increasingly embedded in city-level project financing.
Multiple instruments
Announced
04
Upcoming Event
Free
PFAS Treatment USA 2026 · 28–29 October 2026
Focus: The conference concentrates on regulatory compliance with evolving EPA and state PFAS standards, funding and financial strategies for treatment projects, and evaluation of proven and emerging PFAS removal and destruction technologies for municipal and industrial water utilities.
Why It Matters: PFAS compliance is becoming a major capital and operational issue for U.S. water systems, making this event a timely forum for utilities, regulators, engineers, and technology providers assessing treatment pathways, procurement choices, and implementation risk.
Features: The program includes technical sessions, utility case studies, regulatory and financing panels, and an exhibition of PFAS treatment, monitoring, and destruction solutions, enabling practitioners to compare technologies and implementation approaches directly with vendors, consultants, and peers.
Why It Matters: PFAS compliance is becoming a major capital and operational issue for U.S. water systems, making this event a timely forum for utilities, regulators, engineers, and technology providers assessing treatment pathways, procurement choices, and implementation risk.
Features: The program includes technical sessions, utility case studies, regulatory and financing panels, and an exhibition of PFAS treatment, monitoring, and destruction solutions, enabling practitioners to compare technologies and implementation approaches directly with vendors, consultants, and peers.
Analytical edition
Continue into the analytical edition
Subscriber analysis covering the policy, market, research and strategic implications developed in USA Water Intelligence Brief — Q1 2026.
05
Analysis
Subscriber sectionHow expanding federal infrastructure funding, replacement backlogs, inflation and delivery bottlenecks are changing the practical value of IIJA and State Revolving Fund capital across US water systems.
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Policy Watch
Subscriber sectionHow federal PFAS mandates, state planning requirements and interstate authorisation cycles are reshaping utility compliance, capital sequencing, funding access and regulatory risk across the United States.
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Market Forecast
Subscriber sectionExpected shifts in IIJA deployment, PFAS treatment and private investment, and the market conditions likely to influence utility procurement, financing models and long-term capital allocation.
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Research Spotlight
Subscriber sectionMIT research into solar-powered, battery-free electrodialysis for inland brackish groundwater, with attention to operating evidence and potential application in remote or constrained US communities. The focus is evidence for future practical application.
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Quarterly Table
Subscriber sectionA comparative view of IIJA and State Revolving Fund scale, drawdown readiness and financing pressure across selected US jurisdictions and the national water-infrastructure funding picture.
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Final Thoughts
Subscriber sectionA strategic synthesis of federal capital, PFAS compliance, resilience upgrades and technology adoption, and the delivery constraints most important to future US water investment outcomes.
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