NEWS
EVENTS
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
OTC Industrial Technologies
Acquires Global Energy Solutions
September 3
Franklin Electric
Acquires Cat Pumps
September 8
Crane Company
to Acquire U.S. Water Pump Business From Trillium Flow Technologies
September 15
Keen Pump
Joins Kinetiflo Group
Sept. 17
SJE
Acquires Wilson Controls
September 28
Usalco
Acquires SENTRY
October 1
PROMOTIONS
Andrew Baines
SJE, Inc. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – SJE announced the appointment of Andrew Baines as senior vice president of sales and commercial operations for its Engineered Control Solutions (ECS) division. In his new role, Baines will shape and execute the division’s commercial strategy, with a focus on accelerating growth across its water and wastewater, OEM and industrial markets.
Anne Prudhel
Carollo Engineers WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – Carollo Engineers announced that Anne Prudhel has been selected to serve as the firm’s next president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2027. Based in Walnut Creek, California, Prudhel has 24 years of experience leading complex water infrastructure projects involving water supply, wastewater collection, recycled water and regional conveyance systems. Additionally, she has helped numerous utilities secure hundreds of millions in low-interest funding for capital improvement programs and has worked closely with public agencies to address long-term planning needs.
NEW HIRES
Ash Zaghloul
SEEPEX
ENON, Ohio – SEEPEX hired Ash Zaghloul as regional sales manager for Canada. With more than 20 years of experience driving growth across the industrial equipment, power, energy and rental sectors, Zaghloul brings a strong blend of technical expertise and strategic sales leadership to the team.
Scarlett Islas
Sulzer Services
HOUSTON – Sulzer Services hired Scarlett Islas as product marketing specialist, turbomachinery, supporting turbomachinery marketing initiatives across the Americas. Based in La Porte, Texas, Islas will play a key role in strengthening product marketing efforts and customer engagement across the region.
TRADE SHOW PREVIEW
Wed., Dec. 9: 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 10: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Attendees will explore innovative technologies, hands-on learning and meaningful conservations that spark creativity and drive progress. This event is ideal for developing new ideas, discovering emerging trends and connecting with experts who are shaping the future of groundwater, promoting sustainable water solutions for generations to come.
INDUSTRY UPDATES
States & Cities Sue Over EPA Eliminating Rule That Limits Emissions From Power Plants
WASHINGTON – States and cities sued the Trump administration Thursday for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas.
21 states, led by New York, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) power plant rule. The Democratic-led coalition also includes Pennsylvania’s governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver. They argue that “gutting one of the country’s most significant climate protections” will set the nation back decades and worsen the climate crisis.
The EPA announced last month it is revoking the Biden-era rule and said it is taking a separate but related step to prevent future administrations from regulating climate pollution from power plants.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said the federal government is showing “callous disregard” for Americans’ health and the environment, and future generations will pay the price. Power plants that burn fossil fuels are a major source of planet-warming pollution.
“Dismantling these protections is a betrayal of American families, and the stakes are too high to allow this administration to once again put profits over people,” James said in a statement Thursday.
The EPA said Thursday it does not comment on pending litigation. However, it said in announcing the repeal that it would save the industry more than $300 billion in costs and help “unleash” American energy. EPA Assistant Administrator Aaron Szabo said in September that it will allow utilities to “make the best decision for the ratepayers based on cost and cost savings, instead of being required to shut down facilities.”
The coalition is petitioning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review the EPA’s decision and strike down the repeal. It says the EPA unlawfully abandoned the pollution limits without properly considering reasonable alternatives or the enormous health and climate costs of allowing more pollution into the atmosphere. The coalition also told the EPA it intends to sue over the agency’s failure to regulate pollution from many gas-fired power plants.
The suit comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a landmark case in which the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, are suing oil and gas companies to force them to help pay for damage caused by disasters linked to climate change.
The case is part of a wave of climate change litigation around the country and the world with billions of dollars at stake. The high court will hear the case on Monday, the first day of its new term.
The rule change for power plants, first proposed last year, represents a fundamental shift from efforts by Democratic presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama to address climate change and regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap the sun’s heat. Environmental groups say it will come at a cost to Americans’ health and further degrade the environment.
The separate rule proposed last month could prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The proposal, expected to be made final next year, follows EPA’s action earlier this year revoking a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.
The coalition includes the states of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin
Applications Open for the 2027-28 IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship
LONDON – The International Water Association (IWA) and Grundfos announced the call for applications for the third cohort of the IWA & Grundfos Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship. Established in 2022, the fellowship supports Young Water Professionals (YWPs) to strengthen their leadership, professional capabilities and contribution to global water challenges.
Building on the experience of the first two cohorts, the 2027-28 fellowship will place a stronger focus on innovation and on increasing the uptake of technology and innovative solutions in the water sector. The program will support YWPs who are already exploring or developing an idea, solution or innovative approach to a clearly identified water challenge and who would benefit from a structured journey to refine, test, strengthen and position that work for wider uptake.
For IWA, YWPs are individuals aged 18 to 35 years old. The fellowship will remain a global program and will seek a cohort that reflects gender, geographical and professional diversity.
The third cohort will combine online and in-person activities over approximately two years. Selected fellows will participate in structured capacity development, peer learning, project-sharing and review, engagement with IWA and Grundfos experts and networks, and selected international water-sector events.
Water Leadership Institute Celebrates 2026 Graduates & Circular Water Economy Focus
The Water Leadership Institute (WLI) Class of 2026 includes 85 water professionals representing 26 states, Canada and Germany. As the 15th class of the institute, this year’s graduates bring the Water Leadership Institute alumni network to approximately 760 professionals helping shape the future of water.
The Class of 2026 completed the program at WEFTEC 2026 in New Orleans and was recognized during a graduation ceremony on Sunday, September 27.
The WLI educates and trains developing and emerging leaders while creating opportunities to build strong, lasting relationships across the water sector. Through a blended learning approach, participants engage in leadership development and management training, examine complex challenges facing the water and wastewater industries and connect with practitioners from across the public and private sectors.
For their 2026 final projects, WLI participants explored the leadership challenges and opportunities involved in advancing a circular water economy.
Working in teams, participants examined real-world case studies to identify lessons in leadership, collaboration, trust, governance and organizational change that can help move circular water initiatives forward.
Applications for the 2027 Water Leadership Institute open Nov. 16. To learn more, visit weftec.org/weftec-now/water-leadership-institute-celebrates-2026-graduates-and-circular-water-economy-focus.
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