The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) is pleased to provide you with the March 2025 Regulatory Update.

In 2015, the City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities (DPU) took a major step forward in solving a long-standing problem: sanitary sewer overflows. Under a Consent Order from the Ohio EPA, the city needed to find a solution to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and stop sewage from spilling into basements, rivers, and streams during heavy rain or snowmelt. Instead of relying on traditional and expensive infrastructure fixes, Columbus launched Blueprint Columbus – a bold, innovative program that tackles the issue at its source.

For public utilities, setting fair and equitable rates is a complex and ever-evolving challenge. Traditionally, cost-of-service studies have relied on historical assumptions, monthly meter reads, and estimations based on small subsamples of customer usage data. However, with the innovation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), utilities now have access to an unprecedented level of granular data—hourly usage for every customer.