American Water Summit

Global Water Intelligence publisher Christopher Gasson accounts for the rise of tariffs in the municipal water market during 2009 and its impact on revenues.

Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell discusses the inherent benefits of spending money on infrastructure development. He explains that while the cost to repair America's aging infrastructure may seem daunting, the hundreds of billions used to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would easily fund the project.

John Bissell, CEO of Micromidas Inc., describes the company's mission to convert biological sewer waste into biodegradable plastic.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. describes how the coal industry illegally filled two thousand miles of U.S. waterways over the past 8 years while mountaintop mining in the Appalachian. After Kennedy successfully sued the companies involved in the practice, coal lobbyists promptly re-defined the meaning of the word "fill" in the Clean Water Act to allow the continuation of the practice.

Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Patricia Mulroy outlines the seven-state pact made in the southwest to share the Colorado River in preparation for draught.

George Tchobanoglous, Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Davis, explores innovative concepts for the future of urine separation.

Samantha Gross, Director of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates, explains that while energy sources are usually compared in terms of cost, security, and emissions, a fourth area of comparison is emerging: water use.

Richard Splete applies a special purpose corporation model to a hypothetical infrastructure project in Omaha and shows how it would cost the city much less than standard financing schemes. Unfortunately, he says, there are legal obstacles to this type of approach.

Jeff Sterba, President and CEO of American Water, discusses the obstacles and opportunities presented by the economic downturn. He explains that one of the biggest challenges is overcoming the myth that private companies are "buying" public water.