The U.S. & Canada municipal water & wastewater sector has undergone significant turbulence in recent years, with supply chain disruptions, high inflation, and a looming recession coming on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. In parallel, unprecedented financial support for the sector is expected in the form of the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Canada’s Investing in Canada Plan, accelerating utility capital investment and operations and maintenance (O&M) spend.

This report lays out Bluefield’s 2022–2030 forecast for capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) for water & wastewater utilities across the U.S. & Canada. CAPEX forecasts include 15 key segments ranging from linear assets (e.g., distribution and collection network infrastructure) to vertical assets (e.g., plants and pump stations). OPEX forecasts include 12 major budget categories such as labor, energy, chemicals, and plant/system maintenance.

Bluefield’s forecast methodology considers a variety of key market and macroeconomic variables, including input pricing dynamics, recessionary pressures, demographic & housing market trends, and adoption & growth rates by utility type and size.

In this report, Bluefield’s team of water experts provides a timely assessment of the U.S. & Canada water market outlook at a moment of change, evaluating the impact of current inflationary and recessionary forces, funding initiatives, and labor & supply chain dynamics on utility CAPEX and OPEX from 2022 to 2030.