Unicorr Logo
An image of the entrance to the Chatham Park Water Recovery Center with turquoise and purple piping archways leading into a red brick building.

Municipal Water Leader: McKim & Creed’s Water and Wastewater Projects Solve for Growth

In the April 2024 issue of Municipal Water Leader Magazine, McKim & Creed’s Water Business Unit Leader Rob Stout talks about McKim & Creed’s recent awards and our current projects, which span water reuse, septic conversions, biosolids handling, sewer evaluation, and SCADA replacement.

Municipal Water Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.

An image of the article with McKim & Creed Water Business Unit Leader Rob Stout as it appeared in print in the April 2024 issue of Municipal Water Leader Magazine.Rob Stout: I have about 30 years of experience in municipal water and wastewater and a background in finance, operations, and business development. I graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1994. Like many engineers-in-training, I began my career providing computer-assisted design drawings for designs. Shortly after receiving my professional engineer license, I began managing water, wastewater, and development projects. After about 12 years, I earned an MBA. I then started a water and wastewater practice in the Carolinas, essentially building business for my previous firm. We grew significantly with some key hires, strategic wins, and a best-in-class mentality when it came to client service. I switched from that role to managing the operations and finances of a business unit. My background in operations, finance, and business development (managing both the top line and bottom line concurrently) has assisted me tremendously in my current role at McKim & Creed.

Municipal Water Leader: Please introduce McKim & Creed.

Rob Stout: McKim & Creed started in 1978 as a small structural engineering firm in Wilmington, North Carolina. Since then, it has grown into an award-winning employee-owned engineering, survey, and planning firm with more than 850 employees. We have 27 offices in the Carolinas, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Our clients are primarily city and county municipalities along the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast. Many are fast growing cities that are witnessing significant pressure on critical infrastructure such as water and wastewater systems.

Municipal Water Leader: McKim & Creed works on a large range of project types. What are some of the common issues you aim to solve for your customers?

Rob Stout: Our team is helping clients obtain funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other sources, which often leads to additional work for us down the road. In 2023, our Louisiana team helped clients secure $27 million in funding to complete much-needed infrastructure improvement projects in the state and has another $96 million in the works. We also try to stay ahead of regulatory issues for our clients. Top of mind is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) upcoming lead and copper rules compliance deadline in October 2024. We are replacing lead and copper lines in several of the communities that we serve. We have helped clients meet the EPA’s regulatory requirements, including by capturing the locations of lead water lines and providing a replacement plan. Another common issue is helping clients address community growth, since increasing population is straining many clients’ systems. Whether the project involves expanding a wastewater treatment plant or increasing the size of water transmission and wastewater collection mains, we are there to help our clients meet those challenges.

Visit Municipal Water Leader Magazine to view the entire article.