2024年美国水务行业研究报告_行业进展_市场变化_新兴挑战与阻碍（英文版）_53页_1mb

2024 Water Report Summary

Core Content

The 2024 Water Report by Black & Veatch provides a comprehensive analysis of the current challenges and opportunities within the U.S. water sector. It highlights the increasing complexity of the industry due to aging infrastructure, evolving regulations, cybersecurity threats, and the need for sustainability and resilience. The report is based on a survey of approximately 630 U.S. water industry stakeholders, offering insights into the sector's strategic direction and operational challenges.

Main Issues and Trends

Aging Infrastructure

• Top Challenge: 65% of respondents cited aging infrastructure as their primary concern.
• Longstanding Issue: This remains the most pressing issue for the water sector, with no signs of it becoming less urgent soon.
• Funding Needs: Nearly half of the respondents have pursued or plan to pursue state and federal funding (including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) for infrastructure improvements.

Workforce Challenges

• Silver Tsunami: The aging workforce and difficulty in hiring qualified staff remain top concerns, with 47% of respondents selecting it as a key issue.
• Retirement Trends: Federal estimates suggest that one-third of water utility workers may retire in the next decade, exacerbating staffing shortages.
• Training Support: The U.S. EPA has allocated over $20 million in grants to support training and career opportunities for water workers.

Sustainability and Decarbonization

• Strategic Focus: Sustainability is increasingly recognized as a critical strategic focus, with 60% of respondents considering it important.
• Large Utilities: 75% of larger utilities (serving over 500,000 customers) have sustainability goals and metrics in place.
• Key Tactics: Water conservation and loss mitigation are the top tactics for achieving sustainability and decarbonization.

Climate Change

• Resilience Challenges: Climate change is significantly impacting water infrastructure, with extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and wildfires testing its resilience.
• Nature-Based Solutions: Utilities are exploring nature-based solutions to mitigate climate impacts but are not yet widely adopting predictive climate analytics.

Cybersecurity

• Critical Concern: Cybersecurity is deemed "very important" by 86% of respondents and "important" by 73%, indicating its critical role in protecting water infrastructure.
• Vulnerabilities: Utilities are increasingly aware of their vulnerabilities, with a growing number of cyberattacks targeting water systems.
• Outsourcing Preferences: 35% of respondents prefer to outsource cybersecurity assessments, and 31% prefer to outsource personnel training.
• Expert Consultation: 61% of utilities have consulted with cybersecurity experts, and 37% have hired them as part-time or full-time staff.

Digital Water

• Data Utilization: 60% of utilities collect data but do not leverage it effectively.
• Strategic Objectives: Asset monitoring, measurement, and analysis are the top objectives for digital solutions, followed by cybersecurity and operations planning.

Key Insights

• Regulatory Uncertainty: Regulatory changes, particularly around PFAS and lead/copper rules, continue to be a major challenge.
• PFAS Regulations: The EPA set new PFAS regulatory limits in April 2024, which is expected to significantly impact water treatment processes.
• Contaminants Management: Utilities are seeking new processes and technologies to address contaminants, with new regulations and newly detected contaminants being key drivers.
• Treatment Technologies: Ion exchange, granular activated carbon adsorption, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis are among the technologies used for PFAS remediation.
• Modular Solutions: Modular treatment units offer a viable short-term solution for PFAS compliance, especially in emergency or time-sensitive situations.

Conclusion

The U.S. water sector is at a crossroads, facing significant challenges from aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and evolving regulations. However, there is a growing recognition of the importance of sustainability, resilience, and digital transformation. While cybersecurity remains a critical area of concern, many utilities are beginning to take proactive steps, including seeking external expertise and investing in training. The report underscores the need for a holistic approach to addressing these multifaceted issues, ensuring that the water sector can adapt and thrive in the face of rapid change.