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U.S. & Canada Municipal Water: Key Trends, Deals, and Policy in Water Management, Q1 2023 

In November 2022, the U.S. White House released a progress report on Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding announced to date. The latest data shows that the funding distributed through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the primary source for water infrastructure funding, aligns closely with the agency’s original funding distribution plans. This is a promising sign for players across the water sector.

The State of the Colorado River Negotiations with Pat Mulroy 

The one and only Pat Mulroy provides a stark reality check and status update on the state of the Colorado River negotiations. And Reese Tisdale from Bluefield Research provides his observations on sev...

Fair Market Value: Key Policies, Acquisition Trends, and Companies 

Bluefield has tracked approximately 1,200 water deals submitted for regulatory approval since 2015, with only 8% having been executed using FMV. The legislation has historically played a relatively small role in IOU M&A, but increased utilization is having a ripple effect across states with active policies. As pressure builds to consolidate struggling utilities, more states are likely to employ incentives like FMV to support acquisitions.

Industrial Water: Key Trends, Deals, and Policy in Water Management, Q1 2023 

Bluefield has observed continued regulatory pressure on industries to address water risks—both in emerging contaminants and on water usage in areas of water scarcity. Wide-spread water quality concerns over per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination slows manufacturing. Although it currently accounts for approximately 3% of its total sales, the chemical company, 3M, announced it would cease PFAS manufacturing by 2025.

Top Companies in Water: Financial Signals and Market Trends, Q4 2022 

Water markets, globally, are in transition with critical inputs being influenced by inflation, climate, pandemic-related lockdowns, the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and overarching concerns about recession. Bluefield's ongoing quarterly analysis of identifiable trends and market signals highlighted in the financial reports, investor calls, and presentations of 50 publicly traded companies holding positions in municipal and industrial water sectors, highlights key factors shaping not only the segments but the individual companies themselves.

Private Equity Firms Build Out Trenchless Water Positions 

On 3 February 2023, U.S. private equity firm J.F. Lehman & Company announced the formation of PURIS, a vertically integrated provider of trenchless pipeline rehabilitation technologies and services for the water, wastewater, and stormwater industry. The formation of PURIS comes as trenchless technologies are receiving increased attention from stakeholders across the water sector.

IOU Acquisition Trends: States & Buyers to Watch and Deal Drivers 

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 th...

Canada’s EPCOR Acts on Arizona Water Cuts 

Amid the ongoing supply shortage in the Colorado River Basin, the city of Scottsdale codified a Drought Management Plan that bans hauling water beyond the city limits. Consequently, the Rio Verde Foothills community is considering EPCOR, Arizona’s largest investor-owned utility, as a potential water provider.

Smart Cities & Connected Communities Panel Discussion on Water Technology 

Wayne Griffith, now the Acting Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of DC Water, Ben Grumbles, the Executive Director of Environmental Council of the States, Christine Boyle, Vice Pres...

Run-up to UN Water Summit: The Elusive Water Sector Financing Issue 

Bluefield Research had the pleasure of attending the recent Roundtable on Financing Water organized by the UN and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Geneva, Switz...