Water & Wastewater Financing
Stradling’s experience in the utility revenue bond financing area is extensive, particularly with respect to water and wastewater issuers. The firm is routinely ranked among the most active bond counsel firms on water and wastewater financings in California. We represent a wide range of water and wastewater service providers, including both wholesale and retail water agencies, municipal utility districts, community services districts, irrigation districts, sanitary districts, municipal water districts, county water agencies, city utilities and joint powers agencies. In California, as bond counsel and/or disclosure counsel, we represent various central valley contractors, state water project contractors, groundwater sustainability agencies and a myriad of other water agencies.
We are well versed regarding ongoing administrative proceedings, regulatory issues and challenges facing water and wastewater issuers, including the Bay-Delta and Water Quality Control Plan activities, drought response planning, rate challenges, sustainable groundwater management legislation, PFAS regulation, NPDES permit and consent decree requirements and developing nutrients discharge concerns.
Our vast experience reflects both the breadth and depth of our utility practice and assures our familiarity with the wide gamut of issues affecting our water and wastewater clients. In the five years from June 2015 – June 2020, Stradling acted as bond counsel on approximately 130 water and wastewater enterprise financing issues totaling approximately $6.9 billion, and as disclosure counsel on more than 70 water and wastewater enterprise financings totaling over $2.0 billion principal amount. The firm has acted as underwriter’s counsel on approximately 90 water and wastewater enterprise financings totaling nearly $9.3 billion. The expertise of our attorneys and our involvement in a predominant share of the water and wastewater financings in the states in which we practice is a benefit to our clients in this area.
