In today’s economic climate, generating new revenue is a challenge for almost any municipality. Upgrades, repairs and new infrastructure are continuous needs, and they require funds. Yet rate and tax increases — unappealing in the best of times — are even more difficult in a slow economy.Facing this dilemma, the City of Lowell, Mass., found a solution in a creative approach at its drinking water utility. The Lowell Regional Water Utility (LRWU) serves 135,000 residents and businesses in Lowell, Dracut, Tyngsboro and Chelmsford, purifying more than 4.6 billion gallons of water per year.The city and utility used innovative financing to
