By Bonfire Interactive

Public water utilities around the country are facing the monumental task of updating aging water systems. But trying to fund a persistent list of deferred and priority projects in an era of shrinking local government revenues, staff constraints, and heightened constituent sensitivity to rate increases makes for a challenging environment.

There’s never been a better time to explore creative solutions for stretching budgets further and turning federal infrastructure funding into transformative investments in efficient and sustainable water management. This is a topic municipal finance expert and former mayor of Kansas City, Mark Funkhouser, recently sat down to chat about with seasoned finance and water utility leaders. Funkhouser, who is currently the President of consulting firm Funkhouser & Associates, joined Jennifer Presutti, COO and CFO of the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA), George Hawkins, former CEO of District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (now the Founder and President of Moonshot Missions), and Anthony Berry, Director of Sales at Bonfire.

Here are 4 a-ha moments from their conversation that should be on the mind of every finance professional.