Welcome to the May issue of Municipal Sewer & Water. For you it’s May, anyway. Writing these words I found myself thinking about the coming change of seasons and the wave of green that washes over the woods of Northern Wisconsin in spring. Then I looked out the window at several inches of fresh snow and saw the mercury in the outdoor thermometer pinned down at 10 degrees. It was still February.
That’s how it is in the magazine publishing world: January could be March, or June, or even the following January. It can be hard to keep straight, and it’s not uncommon for an editor to have a very skewed sense of time. But that illustrates my point. It’s February, but for you, as you read these pages there aren’t piles of snow outside the window and the mercury is being much more liberal in its movements up the scale.
Everything here at COLE Publishing is always a few months ahead. Our deadline for the July issue, for instance, will have passed by the time you read this. We were wrapping up the March issue when I stepped into the editor’s chair, and much of the material for the April edition was already in the can, as we say in the business. That’s why we’re just now getting a formal introduction in May, even though I stepped into my role at MSW in January.
I’ve already visited a CIPP lining project in Madison, Wis. The project was the first of its kind on a potable water main in Wisconsin. You’ll be able to read about the project in an upcoming issue of MSW. I’ve also sat down with Rob Molskie, conveyance system manager for the Stevens Point (Wis.) sewer and water utility. The utility has come a long way in the past five years, and you’ll also be able to read about how they’ve made drastic improvements in their system in an upcoming issue.
There are other great stories coming up in MSW as well. Bethlehem Township (Pa.) has just begun an ambitious lateral lining project that will likely make a big impact on the municipal sewer system. Nashville, Tenn., will also grace these pages in a story detailing the work the municipality has done to build green stormwater infrastructure. Those efforts have been recognized by the Natural Resources Defense Council, and we’ll bring you the full story in August.
Of course, there will also be plenty of stories on new technology, new solutions to common problems and new ways to serve your customers better.
My hope is that you won’t notice any significant changes as the balance of the load shifts each issue from work that was done prior to my arrival to the work done under my watch. I assure you the focus and quality of this publication won’t waver, because a lot of dedicated people put a great deal of hard work into putting together a product that speaks to your industry and its place among the vital services we all depend on.
As we move forward, I’ll do my best to make sure MSW continues to deliver information of value to the industry, including profiles of the people and departments that are shaping the future for sewer and water utilities. If you have comments, suggestions or story ideas, please feel free to email me at editor@mswmag.com. I hope to hear from you.
