Municipal Water

Patrick, Miller & Noto is one of the few firms in the United States which concentrates a significant portion of its practice on utility and watershed planning for basin authorities, local governments and private clients. This developing field meshes economics, the physical sciences, environmental regulations, water supply planning, water rights, utility and rate theory and municipal law. The result is a planning portfolio that assists governments and authorities in developing, financing and phasing of water and wastewater infrastructure so as to maximize efficiencies and revenues.

A representative portfolio might include utility master planning, intergovernmental agreements to maximize facilities and operations, coordinated operating agreements between service providers, resource dedication programs, pollution and discharge credit exchanges, and tap, plant investment and service fee structuring, to name but a few. Creative concepts for shared infrastructure and basin-wide cooperation enhance resources available to the entire basin. Whenever possible, we stress the need to transcend political and parochial boundaries to develop and plan for water supplies on a watershed basis.

Our international presence is also growing; we are able to assist with BOT infrastructure projects, foreign franchises, leases and concessions of water and wastewater utilities. We develop the legal means to mitigate risk in shared foreign water and wastewater privatization and investment.

We are increasingly being asked to conduct site and facility due diligence to ensure water and wastewater security in the international marketplace.

Case Studies

• Water and wastewater utility planning and development for one of the fastest growing municipalities in Colorado, to meet a burgeoning population in an area of arid Colorado.
• Water development planning for the primary water development entity in the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex, to meet the demands of one of the fastest growing population centers in the United States.