NEWS
EVENTS
ACQUISITIONS
DXP Enterprises, Inc.
Announces Acquisition of General Repair Service
PROMOTIONS
Morten Christian Larsen
Svanehoj DENMARK – After seven years as president of Svanehoj, Søren Kringelholt Nielsen will take over the role as president of ITT Nutrition & Health Solutions and will be succeeded by Morten Christian Larsen, currently managing director of Svanehoj Singapore. Larsen has more than 20 years of experience in the marine industry and a background that spans from hands-on technical work to international business leadership. He is a marine engineer and holds an MBA in shipping and logistics. Earlier in his career, he built marine boilers and traveled the world as a service engineer, which gave him firsthand insight into the challenges faced by both end users and colleagues when critical equipment needs to perform reliably in operation.
Meredith Emmerich & Joe Johnston
Xylem Inc. WASHINGTON – Xylem Inc. announced two executive leadership appointments, effective as of July 1, both reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Pine. Meredith Emmerich has been appointed executive vice president (EVP) and president, measurement and control solutions. Most recently, she served as EVP and president, applied water at Xylem. Emmerich joined Xylem in 2024 from Carrier Global Corporation, where she was vice president of global enterprise solutions and held several senior leadership roles, including leading the Americas Commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) business and the global residential, light commercial and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) HVAC portfolio.
Joe Johnston will succeed Emmerich as EVP and president, applied water. Currently senior vice president and general manager within Xylem’s Water Solutions and Services segment, he most recently led the Global Dewatering business and has held leadership roles across Xylem since joining the company in 2019. Johnston brings more than 25 years of global leadership experience across operations, business development and commercial strategy, including senior leadership roles at GE Power (now GE Vernova), where he served as executive general manager and managing director.
NEW HIRES
Mike Wallace
Custom Pipe & Fabrication ANAHEIM, Calif. – Custom Pipe & Fabrication announced the hiring of Mike Wallace as director of sales – Waterworks East, further strengthening the company’s leadership team and expanding its support for customers across the eastern United States.
Wallace brings more than two decades of experience in sales leadership, business development, marketing, operations and team development across the waterworks, pumping and capital construction markets. Throughout his career, he has led high-performing regional sales teams, managed direct and distribution sales channels, supported large-scale revenue growth initiatives and built strong relationships throughout the waterworks and pumping industries.
Kris Ellis
SEEPEX ENON, Ohio – SEEPEX has named Kris Ellis as regional sales manager for the Southwest region, where he will focus on expanding the company’s presence in industrial markets and supporting customers. Ellis brings a strong background in applications engineering and sales leadership. He began his career in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft and munitions maintenance officer before transitioning to NOV as an applications engineer supporting offshore drilling projects. He later led quotations and applications engineering teams as a marketing services manager and went on to serve as a global account manager with Transocean.
Most recently, Ellis was regional sales manager for Moyno and Chemineer, overseeing channel partners across 21 states and driving market expansion across the Rockies, Great Plains and Gulf Coast regions.
TRADE SHOW PREVIEW
TPS is a vital industry event, offering a forum for the exchange of ideas between rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide. Now surpassing 54 years, TPS is known for its impact on turbomachinery, pump, oil and gas, petrochemical, power, aerospace, chemical and water industries through two pathways: the technical program and exhibition.
TPS hosts the premier professional continuing education program relied upon by rotating equipment engineers and technicians worldwide. The program, hand-picked by influential industry advisory committees, is led by highly respected practitioners and leaders in their fields. Topics include maintenance, reliability, troubleshooting, instruction on emerging designs, technology and best practices that include case studies with real-world relevance.
At the centerpiece of TPS, a remarkable exhibit hall hosts leading international companies from across the globe. Companies and industry experts demonstrate full-size equipment and products and share insights on current practices and future trends. Networking opportunities abound for attendees, rounding out the valuable transfer of knowledge that has become the hallmark of TPS.
INDUSTRY UPDATES
Nevada Signs Water, Sharing Agreement With Arizona, California
BOULDER CITY, Nev. – Lake Mead could soon benefit from the nation’s largest desalination plant thanks to an agreement that would allow water agencies in Nevada, Arizona and California to exchange water supplies across the drought-challenged Colorado River Basin.
On June 3, the federal government and water agencies in the three states signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a framework for an interstate pilot program that could let agencies in Arizona and Nevada tap San Diego’s Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. The desalination plant, operated by the San Diego County Water Authority, can produce 54 million gallons per day. And in years San Diego has a surplus of water, the proposed program would allow California’s share of the Colorado River to be transferred to other states.
The plan would not directly send desalination-treated water to Lake Mead but would allow “paper” transfers and exchanges between states using existing infrastructure and credits. The program could potentially leave more water in Lake Mead that could stabilize the reservoir during water shortages and blunt the impact of federal water cuts.
“Water agencies could access supplies through existing infrastructure without the need to build costly new pipelines, canals or facilities,” said San Diego County Water Authority Board Chair Nick Serrano.
“By tapping into desalination, we believe we can help create a new resource for the Colorado River Basin, contributing to stability,” he continued.
If successfully developed, it would be the first program to transfer water across state lines within the Colorado River Basin.
“We are laying a solid foundation for a great leap forward toward water security in the Southwest,” said Scott Cameron, the acting commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Cameron praised California’s investments in desalination and said the Trump administration “sees real potential in developing and exploring more opportunities for desalination.”
The agreement comes at a time when federal officials warn the Colorado River’s water forecast is becoming more grim. A combination of record-low snowpack across the west and record-breaking heat has further intensified drought conditions.
Long-term drought has reduced Colorado River system water storage to about 36% of capacity, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Water shortages could also impact hydropower in the west. Lake Mead is projected to drop below the critical threshold of 1,035 feet above sea level as early as spring 2027, at which point the hydropower generating capacity at Hoover Dam would be cut by 70%.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by representatives of the federal Bureau of Reclamation, San Diego County Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Arizona Department of Water Resources, Central Arizona Project and Salt River Project.
EPA Announces $227M in Funding for Tribes & Alaska Native Villages to Improve Water Infrastructure
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $227 million in funding for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages to improve drinking water and wastewater services. These resources will provide Tribal communities with assistance they need to better protect the health of both their citizens and environment.
This funding will help Tribal communities access safe and reliable drinking water and will help them protect their environment from wastewater discharges. Federally recognized Tribes can use these funds to advance public health protections by making necessary investments in water infrastructure, which can help support compliance with Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and address important public health challenges such as removing lead pipes or addressing per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
The fiscal year 2026 funding will be administered through the following:
- $71 million: Clean Water Indian Set-Aside (CWISA), including $4.5 million for CWISA Emerging Contaminants (CWISA-EC)
- $134 million: Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants
- $19 million: Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Tribal Grant Program
- $3 million: Small, Rural and Tribal (SmaRT) Drinking Water Assistance Grant Program
Background
The Clean Water Indian Set-Aside (CWISA) program provides funding for wastewater infrastructure to American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. The CWISA program was established under the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA). Funds may be used for planning, design and construction of wastewater treatment plant facilities that serve federally recognized Tribes.
The Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants Tribal Set-Aside (DWIG-TSA) was established under the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, which authorized EPA to reserve a portion of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund appropriations to fund drinking water infrastructure improvements for Tribal communities.
Since its inception, the DWIG-TSA program has contributed funding for infrastructure upgrades and capital improvement projects as well as operator training and certification programs
In This Issue
