By Kris Polly

Andrea Huizar Beymer has been the chief operational officer of the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), one of the nation’s largest utilities, since 2023. In this month’s cover story, we speak with her about some of the major capital improvement projects that SAWS is pursuing, including the water resources integration program, the W‑6 sewer replacement project, and more. 

The Rainbow Municipal Water District serves a rural area of San Diego County using an extensive water distribution network. As its infrastructure ages and land use changes from agricultural to residential, the district is faced with capital costs and reduced revenue. General Manager Jake Wiley tells us how the district is addressing these challenges, reducing costs, conserving water, and educating the public. 

Then, we speak with Andrea Travnicek, the director of North Dakota’s Department of Water Resources, about the details and accomplishments of the department’s Cost-Share Program, which is the primary source of water project funding in the state. 

What if water utilities could reduce power costs and increase their resiliency by generating power on site? One way to do that is through a microgrid—local energy generation and storage resources that also have access to the wider grid if needed. We learn more about the concept from David Burns, the chief technology officer and cofounder of the energy company Solential, and Mark Falahee, its vice president of sales and marketing, and hear about a successful microgrid solution Solential implemented for the City of Fort Wayne’s water and wastewater utilities. 

Engineers Without Borders USA is a volunteer-driven nonprofit that pursues infrastructure projects in 27 countries, including the United States. Many of its projects, including 70 percent of international projects, focus on water and sanitation systems. In our discussion with Senior Program Engineer Scott Gregory, we learn more about this praiseworthy organization and its work. 

Tampa-based SurvTech Solutions uses a wide array of surveying methods and data-gathering techniques to map and analyze structures and topographies, both above and below the water. President David O’Brien lets us see under the surface of this fascinating business. 

Finally, we check in with Hydraulic Institute Executive Director Mike Michaud to learn more about the institute’s training and certification offerings; its newest certification program, Pump System Certified; and its efforts to deliver courses in partnership with colleges to meet the workforce needs of employers. 

Funding and executing major capital projects is a complicated endeavor, but one that will continue to be necessary as existing infrastructure ages and populations shift and grow. I hope that reading about the impressive professionals and projects featured in this issue gives you inspiration in your own work. 

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He can be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.