Multi-Tiered Approach is Needed
John Fougere is Senior Strategic Communications Consultant at the Financial Research Institute (FRI) at the University of Missouri. FRI advances unbiased research, education, and collaboration for sound, innovative public utility policy and regulation.
Addressing the nation’s complex challenges of distressed water and wastewater systems requires careful assessment, strong community engagement, and flexible approaches tailored to local conditions.
Such was one of the top takeaways from a panel organized by the Financial Research Institute (FRI) on July 21 in Minneapolis, bringing together regulators, public utility commissioners, municipal leaders, consumer advocates, and water utility representatives for a discussion on distressed water and wastewater systems. The panel was held in conjunction with the 2026 NARUC Summer Policy Summit.
As if to underscore the need for a multi-tiered approach, the panel included a diverse collection of voices, including Ryan Silvey, VP of Public Policy and Communication for Central States Water Resources; Sarah Leeper, President of both California American Water and Hawaii American Water; Ed Lodge, President of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission; Karen Stachowski with the Consumer Advocate Division of the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office; and Bob Dandoy, Mayor of Butler, Pennsylvania.
The panel was introduced by Adrienne Ohler, Associate Director of Policy Research at FRI, and moderated by Iowa Commissioner Erik Helland, also a member of the FRI Advisory Board.