Sadek Wahba’s Post

In Public Private Partnership, the Parties (Public and Private) must have a clear formulation as to why they are in Partnership since day one. Private Partner certainly comes with many advantages that public sector often unable to provide, namely agility toward operational improvement, funding, and expertise. Often, public sector needs to access private fund, but forgot that private parties are not just a honeypot of money. They have their own set of objective and comply to risk management principles, which can not be played against political objective. Failing to understand this will bring disaster to both side.

Another stark example of reckless financial engineering. Environmental critics argue that Thames Water accumulated debt to fund dividend payments to investors instead of upgrading London’s sewer system. This has led to the discharge of at least 34,000 Olympic swimming pools worth of raw sewage into the river since 2020, raising the question of whom an entity owes greater responsibility: investors or the broader society and environment in which it operates. In my opinion, companies derive profits from the societies in which they operate, not solely from shareholders. Hence, they shoulder a greater responsibility towards society rather than prioritizing shareholders exclusively. https://lnkd.in/gyzmcYRh

Today's food for thought... With the election approaching, do we anticipate a change in Government and what will that mean to my new businesses - BM Civil Engineering Ltd. For me, I am most interested in the following: - Implementation of strategies to help with climate change & sustainability. - Sewerage discharge into rivers and the sea. - Net zero. - NHS waiting times. - Mandatory national service. - Scrapping HS2? I'm by no means a political expert, but exercising your right to vote influences the outcome - this is at least, how we establish the outcome for how much ice cream our two young children can have after dinner anyway!

This morning our Deputy Chair Julia Prescot was on the opening panel of the @Water Report and Indepen #SocialContractSummit "on what water problems do we need to solve". One of the problems she said was ensuring England's #water infrastructure up to 2050 and beyond can respond to the twin challenges of a growing population and the impacts of #climatechange - i.e increased risk of dought, which necessitated the need to generate 4bn litres of additional water supply a day in England by 2050. Building new supply #infrastructure - along with tackling leaks and reducing demand - was one of the three key routes to solving this long term challenge facing the sector. With significant new infrastructure needing to be built - reservoirs, transfer networks - this required a #regulatory system that functions in a way that encourages investment into the sector when it's needed, but also ensures due attention is given to improving the #resilience and #maintenance of the system as a whole. Attracting investors into the market in the face of competition from attractive markets like the US also means addressing issues likely to give investors pause, such as the current slow pace of the #planning system for major infrastructure. The need for reform of the regulatory environment to drive the right behaviours from companies and investors on issues like #resilience and protecting the natural environment was the focus of much of the discussion with fellow panellists Colin Skellet of Wessex Water, River Action's James Wallace and Lila Thompson of British Water. As too was the importance of the need to rebuild the public's dented confidence in the #water sector and increase the #transparency of both how the sector operates and the costs associated with future-proofing our water system. To familiarise yourself with our recommendations on #water and #resilience in our 2nd National Infrastructure Assessment, visit the #NIA2 page on our website here: https://lnkd.in/eUsUEhCJ

SMC's Jonathan Ridolfi, Associate, and Justin Seigel, Director, attended the Environmental Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Operation & Maintenance of Stormwater Systems (OMSW) Conference earlier this month - a gathering highlighting advances in O&M of stormwater infrastructure, including maintenance design and approaches, training programs, municipal program management and implementation, life cycle cost analysis, lessons from the field, etc. They had a very positive experience at the event, taking away the following insight, "As various municipalities, jurisdictions, and agencies across the country embark on their journeys towards cleaner stormwater, learning how to properly maintain their facilities becomes a major hurdle that must be accounted for. Developing innovative ways to obtain funding and create 'Green Collar Jobs' becomes a key discussion point, with many looking to the P3 of the Clean Water Partnership in Prince George's County as a model to learn from. With a unique ability to provide extensive contractor training on how to properly maintain various stormwater facilities as well as provide valuable opportunities for both County Located Small Businesses and Local Resident work hours, the program has become a model for success across the Country. "Furthermore, as funding becomes a greater need for proper O&M, implementing a stormwater utility tax, often referred to as a 'rain tax', is quickly being brought to the forefront. By following a 'teach & treat' model to engage the community, accounting for community desires and needs before implementing a stormwater utility tax, appears to be a potential path forward to remedy the O&M funding issue while reducing confrontation & resistance from the community. By following the 'teach & treat' model, the goal becomes to demonstrate that Green Infrastructure can be more than just a utility to clean stormwater runoff, but rather a positive asset to local communities for years to come." - Jon Ridolfi "Technology, specifically AI, can play a major role in maintaining BMPs. Stormwater infrastructure continues to expand, and we'll need to figure out how to best allocate limited resources to maximize the benefit of existing and future stormwater control measures. Ideally, inspections and maintenance firms can leverage AI to predict both routine and non-maintenance needs and allocate resources effectively." - Justin Seigel Click on the following link to learn more about future events hosted by the EWRI: https://lnkd.in/daAp2FaT

Interested in the south east's water resources? ♒ Us too! You can read the latest in a series of blogs we've written for WRSE over on https://lnkd.in/ecF3q7D7

Quick update, this bill was passed by the house local government committee yesterday. Yes, the folks who are supposed to represent the local governments in Iowa, despite all major local governments coming out against this bill? That means the bill now goes to the Full House of Representatives for a vote, please contact your representative as soon as possible and remind them we don't want to privatize short term profits while socializing the long term risks. Yep, they want you to pay more taxes forever to pay for the flooding problems created by a few builders to get a little more profit once. They're also selling almost all of the topsoil from your land before you buy a new home - a few communities tried to stop them, this bill makes it illegal to stop them?? Some representation huh? Here is their contact info: https://lnkd.in/gKXtqjwR

It was a pleasure to work with the Municipal Engineers Association's 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 to organize this session. 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓: Navigating the Excess Soils Management Regulation 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: April 23rd [1:30 - 2:45pm] 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: Royal York, Downtown Toronto (Good Roads Conference) 𝐇𝐎𝐖: https://lnkd.in/gvg2kfgb In this session, we'll unravel the challenges, exemptions, and best practices for effective management, featuring insightful discussions on: > Re-use of Sand & Gravel and Material Quality: - How municipalities leverage regulations. - Handling variations in soil quality at re-use sites. - Implications of contamination limitations. > Limiting excess soils generation and Destination Locations: - Design considerations for reduction. - Environmental impacts of long-hauling excess soils. - Strategies for in-house soil management. - Challenges of mid-construction soil rejections. > Municipal Challenges in Meeting the Registry’s Timelines: - Accurate reporting requirements. - Fines for non-compliance. - Pressure on municipal landfills. DON'T MISS OUT!

If you happen to be at the NJ Deisgn Sunmit check out this incredible expert panel discussion. #focusonthefuture #expertideasexpertresults

🛠️ As #InfrastructureWeek comes to an end we want to highlight some accomplishments that have been made possible through innovative policies like the Judicial Streamlining Program (SB 149) — signed into law on July 10, 2023, by Governor Newsom — aimed at ensuring that qualifying infrastructure projects receive an expedited judicial review to be heard within 270 days of being challenged in court. The Sites Reservoir is a project that has benefitted from the Judicial Streamlining Program. When completed Sites will provide water for up to 3 million homes for one year, increase the needed water storage capacity for the state and create reliable water supplies for environmental, agriculture, and municipal uses, and will pave the way for a more climate resilient #CaliforniaForAll. The groundbreaking will take place in 2026 with construction finished by 2032.