Water bonds

The five-year Highway Trust Fund reauthorization still requires action by the House Ways and Means Committee to approve revenue measures for financing the bill.

The bulk of $743 billion in improvements needed to alleviate climate risk and aging infrastructure would be borne by the utilities, a rating agency says.

Arizona and neighboring states are preparing for the first mandatory cuts in water from the Colorado River after 20 years of drought.

Passage of the bill Thursday authorizes programs to receive funding, though money would still need to be appropriated through an appropriations process or a comprehensive infrastructure bill.

Joliet will finance new infrastructure with a mix of revenue borrowing and state and federal loans in an agreement that will bring Chicago $30 million annually.

A new policy framework supports “enhanced bond financing incentives that can be used to improve water quality and reduce other environmental stressors.”

For taking proactive measures to update city infrastructure during the height of pandemic, Tampa, Florida's $362.8 million water and wastewater systems revenue and refunding revenue bond transaction earned The Bond Buyer's Deal of the Year for the Southeast Region.

The reoccuring Water Resources Development Act is expected to pass the Senate this month.

Billions of public funds have been spent cleaning up the bay, but two lawsuits say those efforts are endangered because the EPA failed to do its job.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced several modest replacement programs Thursday with an eye toward expansion in the coming years.