Water is so simple that, if you’re like me, you tend to take it for granted. But a report recently released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed that $384 billion in infrastructure improvements are needed to continue providing safe drinking water. But as you’ll soon learn, that $384 billion is only a drop in the bucket when it comes to what’s ahead for water and the water industry.
It’s a big topic, and it’s the focus of PowerTalk this week. I’m your host, Chris Versace, and once again we’re taking you behind the scenes and in the know — this time on water and the looming water crisis. It is a big issue and a huge pain point — so much so that it has been a key theme in my investment newsletter PowerTrend Profits.
During the last week, we’ve had a huge reminder of how important water is — the heat wave that hit the Eastern United States. But like I said, that was just a reminder as to how bad the drought situation is here in the United States.
While we tend to think of water as abundant, it’s not. In fact, only a small percentage of the world’s water is reachable and usable. To me, that says it’s really a scarce resource.
Joining me today to talk about this is Debra Coy, principal at Svanda & Consulting and an advisor at XPV Capital. While those are Debra’s current titles, she has been following or involved with the water industry for more than 25 years as an equity analyst at firms such as Janney Montgomery Scott, The Washington Research Group, HSBC Securities and others.
Debra gives a great overview on the water industry and its many facets, from equipment companies like Xylem (XYL) to water utilities such as American Water Works (AWK) and Aqua America (WTR). We also talk about the looming water crisis, water’s role not only in the home but in industrial and other manufacturing uses (such as semiconductor manufacturing and pharmaceuticals) and how more and more companies around the globe are making critical decisions, such as where a new facility may or may not be located. That’s right, access to water is becoming a key consideration in economic development, and that means jobs.
While water may be something you have taken for granted, the looming water crisis is something you can’t afford to ignore any longer.
Listen to my behind-the-scenes PowerTalk conversation now, so you are even more in the know.
Access prior PowerTalk interviews here:
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Rolling in the Dough, CEO of Panera Bread Finds Profitable Recipe
Navigating the Airways with BlackJet CEO Dean Rotchin
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