Pipeline Network Infrastructure: Will Technology Revolutionize the Water andWastewater Industry?

摘要

President-Elect Barak Obama pledged public works on a vast scale as reported by thernpress on December 6, 2008. While this is most welcome by all of us in the pipelinernindustry, there would never be enough public funds to meet all of our pipelines needs.rnTherefore, what can we do to attract more private funds into our industry? Asrnengineers dealing with pipelines, we need to understand that about 75% of the budgetrnof designing, constructing and managing either a water or wastewater utility is in thernpipe networks. Mere 25% is in treatment plants, yet many investors feel that mostrnadvances in technology have been on the treatment side of the business. Investors alsornfeel that the network side of the business has remained impervious to change: theyrnwork in much the same way as they did when they were first laid out 200 years ago.rnThe author disagrees to a certain degree. This paper provides an overview on how farrnwe have come in networks, in what way we will be forced to change even more in thernway we design, build, renovate, and manage networks, how private equity enteringrnthe water and wastewater sector when combined with the right new technology willrnenhance our ability to do far more with less, and how the best is yet to unfold. Thernauthor also provides valuable insights into where the growth opportunities are in thernwater and wastewater sector. This paper provides many news ideas on how we canrnmake matches between the owners of utilities with over $ 1 trillion needing tornrenovate aging pipe networks and private equity funds formed of the pensionrninvestments from the baby boomers, in the amount of $ 1 trillion looking for worthyrnprojects to fund.