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How can water utilities navigate infrastructure funding in the face of uncertainty?
Meet Tahne Corcutt. As water utilities navigate uncertainty in federal and state funding, Tahne delivers strategic financial leadership to advance resilient water systems.
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For water utilities across the U.S., the funding landscape continues to evolve. Traditional funding sources can change or become less reliable, creating uncertainty for water utilities working to deliver critical infrastructure improvements.
For Tahne Corcutt, navigating that complexity is about more than securing funding — it’s enabling utilities to build more efficient and sustainable financial systems for capital improvements.
As the leader of Jacobs’ Water Infrastructure Funding and Grants consulting practice, Tahne is a nationally recognized subject matter expert on the State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFIA) programs. Over the past 18 years, she has supported water projects in all 50 states, serving as a prime contractor for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water and advising clients across federal, state and local government.
Her work has helped secure more than $1 billion in funding for critical water infrastructure — enabling communities to advance essential projects with confidence.
“My goal is to support every utility I work with to attain a steady state of funding where — just like their project pipeline — the money is always flowing. I build customized strategies and give teams the tools to adopt good habits that will serve them well for years to come.”
Tahne Corcutt
Get to know Tahne
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$ 1
billion the amount of funding for critical water infrastructure Tahne has helped secure
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75 +
training workshops delivered nationwide
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15
states where Tahne has led innovative water infrastructure financing pilots
Reimagining how water projects are financed
Tahne is known for thinking beyond conventional financing models. With a background in policy and law, she interprets statutes and regulations in unique ways that unlock opportunity.
She has led innovative water infrastructure financing pilots in 15 states, advancing watershed-based strategies and community-based public-private partnerships. These approaches include:
- Programmatic financing
- Conduit lending
- Sponsorship lending
- Green banking
- Credit enhancements
- Linked deposit programs
These models have helped address water quality and public health challenges while aligning the needs of utilities and funding agencies.
Her work includes the conceptualization of a comprehensive, multi-year funding strategy for Seattle Public Utilities’ Duwamish River Valley Resilience Program. The initiative integrates federal, state and local funding streams to deliver $16 million in nature-based and community-integrated water resiliency solutions over a 10-year period.
She is also guiding the City of Pasco, Washington, through an innovative financing strategy that combines segment cap lending with WIFIA’s Master Agreement structure to fund a $260 million drinking water treatment plant in manageable, affordable tranches.
These efforts demonstrate what strategic financing can achieve: long-term resilience, equitable investment and practical implementation at scale.
Building capacity across the water sector
An educator at heart, Tahne believes knowledge-sharing is as important as funding strategy.
She has delivered more than 75 training workshops nationwide, supporting utilities to build foundational skills in strategic financing. Tahne has also co-authored several influential Environmental Protection Agency reports that continue to shape national best practices, including guidance on financing non-traditional eligibilities through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and scaling ecosystem restoration efforts to improve water quality.
Beyond the office
A Colorado native, Tahne has also lived in Paris and Phoenix and now calls the shores of Puget Sound home. When she’s not developing innovative funding strategies, she can be found hiking, biking, exploring the beach or spending time on — or even under — the water. She’s currently honing her whale whispering skills!
