Survey Says

About the author: Mary Beth Nevulis is managing editor of Storm Water Solutions. Nevulis can be reached at [email protected] or 847.391.1025.

Mary Beth Nevulis

There are few better ways to take the pulse of an industry than by turning directly to the people who serve it. 

For the fourth year in a row, Storm Water Solutions (SWS) has reached out to its readers for their invaluable input. The 2012 SWS State of the Industry Report takes a look at the big picture—the health of the storm water and erosion control industry—and focuses in on the details by examining issues like budgets, new technologies and trends.

For the third consecutive year, you rated regulations and compliance, storm water management/flood control and the economy as the three topics most important to your organization in the coming year. The state of the economy moved up to second place, replacing storm water management/flood control, which drifted down to
third place.

A close look at 2012 budgets reveals that 47% of you are addressing storm water and erosion control challenges with an organizational budget of less than $100,000, while 20% have a budget of more than $1 million. 

Furthermore, 39% of survey respondents plan to spend some of this money on new storm water construction over the next two years; another 34% plan to upgrade existing facilities over the same time period. 

Concrete products, sewer/drainage systems, pumps, instrumentation, and testing and modeling products continue to be most commonly used. However, during the next two years, survey respondents plan to make purchases in rainwater harvesting and reuse (31%), SCADA (26%) and education (20%). 

These results indicate a growing awareness of water conservation and the importance of education in an ever-changing industry. 

As 2012 progresses, the editorial staff of SWS will continue to keep a close eye on emerging trends and topics. Stay current and informed by reading the latest news from SWS via print, Web, e-newsletters, webinars, social media pages and more. As always, I look forward to your feedback and welcome you to e-mail me at [email protected].

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