In the United States, progress on a potential blockbuster infrastructure bill has been promising this month. A bipartisan group of senators has formulated a compromise that may provide a step forward. Even if this doesn't work out, many believe that Democrats will employ the "reconciliation" procedure that enables legislation to move forward on a party-line vote. In a remarkable turn, Congressional support for water infrastructure investment - which is usually an afterthought - is now a rare example of bipartisan engagement. I have written before about infrastructure investment - particularly how funding enables utilities to rebuild infrastructure that incorporates technologies which reduce operating costs and can even generate new revenue. While funding can help replace outdated and failing pumps, we should incorporate smart pumps that can modify aeration to match nutrient loading and alert personnel when maintenance is needed - saving energy and reducing staff costs - and even unclog themselves, to boot.
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