People forget that water powers the economy and underpins national security. Newsha Ajami of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory explains why the first pillar of the Aspen National Water Strategy calls for a major shift in how the U.S. thinks about water. It’s embedded in everything—from electricity and data centers to…
Water is emerging as a defining factor in U.S. economic growth and national security—from where data centers and energy projects can scale to how communities absorb the rising costs of floods, droughts, and insurance risk. In response, a new Aspen National Water Strategy has been released, laying out a plan…
Tide pools are nature’s laboratories — and for a few hours each day, the ocean pulls back the curtain. Along the rocky shoreline of Point Loma in San Diego, the outgoing tide reveals a remarkable intertidal ecosystem shaped by the gravitational pull of the moon. As billions of gallons of…
Replacing lead service lines isn’t just a construction project — it’s a communication challenge. Chris Casey of Boswell Inc shares insights from the front lines of New Jersey’s lead service line replacement work, where utilities are working to remove lead pipes under the state’s 10-year mandate. One of the biggest…
Since its launch in 2014, the Our Ocean Conference has become one of the world’s most influential platforms for turning ocean concerns into real commitments. Governments, nonprofits, companies, and civil society organizations gather to announce concrete actions — from policy reforms to research initiatives and conservation projects. According to the…
California could face 10% less water supply by 2040. So what can be done about it? In this clip, Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute explains the California Water Resilience Initiative — a collaborative effort bringing businesses together to help close that gap. The goal: Restore or protect 1 million…
What does responsible water leadership look like for companies? Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute explains the six commitments companies make when they join the CEO Water Mandate, a framework that has guided corporate water stewardship for nearly 20 years. Here are the six commitments: 1️⃣ Operational Efficiency 2️⃣ Supply…
Pink. Orange. Neon red. These ponds in the South San Francisco Bay look like a chemical spill — but the colors are actually a sign of nature at work. Seawater flows into shallow evaporation ponds where the water becomes progressively saltier. At each stage of salinity, different microorganisms thrive. Specialized…
New Jersey is tackling one of the most ambitious lead pipe replacement efforts in the country — and the early data tells an important story. Jyoti Venketraman of New Jersey Future and Jersey Water Works explains how the state’s 2021 law set a 10-year timeline to identify and remove lead…
How do you track water solutions across a river basin the size of the Mississippi? Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute explains how the Water Action Hub is being used to monitor conditions and guide action across the Mississippi River Basin. The initiative has an ambitious target to implement water…
How much water does AI use? We asked people that in the latest episode of Water Street Questions from the Reservoir Center. The reactions were… all over the place. Some people immediately admitted they had no idea: “Oh God, I’m not good with AI.” Others threw out a range of…
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, conversations about water are reaching the highest levels of global leadership. Jason Morrison of the Pacific Institute says water programming has significantly increased in recent years — even inside the Congress Center, where fewer than 2,000 badges are issued to CEOs and heads…
A download from Davos reveals how water is rising on the global agenda — with business leaders, governments, and NGOs increasingly recognizing it as a critical climate and economic risk. In this episode, Jason Morrison, president of the Pacific Institute, shares insights from the World Economic Forum gathering this past…
Water sustains life — but history reminds us it has also been used as a weapon. At Kelly Ingram Park, one of the most powerful moments of the Civil Rights Movement unfolded during the Birmingham Campaign. In May 1963, thousands of young people joined what became known as the Children’s…
New Jersey is three years into implementing one of the nation’s most ambitious lead service line replacement laws — a 10-year mandate to identify and remove all lead service lines statewide. The early trends show something important: unknown service lines are declining, inventories are becoming clearer, and utilities are building…
Critical water policy decisions are on the horizon. The Water Policy Fly-In in Washington, D.C. on April 14-15 is the sector's opportunity to amplify its message to federal lawmakers and agencies. "It's everybody coming together, making sure that we have the same consistent voicing that we're being loud, we're being…
Water leaders don’t need another technical manual to communicate better — they need to step into the spotlight. At Catalyst 2025, Dr. Bernie Armada of University of St. Thomas showed how theatrical improvisation can transform the way water professionals connect with their teams and communities. His session pushed participants to…
Unlocking the full potential of AI in water demands clear communication and strategic collaboration. Ralph Exton of the Water Environment Federation says critical issues range from dispelling misinformation among communities and regulators to educating the tech sector on sustainable practices, especially concerning water-intensive operations like data centers. This urgency led…
A fundamental shift is underway in how water resources are perceived and managed, moving beyond simple disposal to embrace a truly circular economy. Ralph Exton of the Water Environment Federation says rethinking the wastewater cycle unlocks not just environmental benefits, but also significant economic opportunities. By extracting valuable resources like…
The water sector is in the middle of a major transition, as decades-old challenges collide with powerful new technologies, workforce shifts, and rising public expectations. In this episode, Ralph Exton, Executive Director of the Water Environment Federation, unpacks how a nearly century-old organization is working to steer global water strategy.…
California is putting numbers behind recycled water. State planners are targeting roughly 800,000 acre-feet of reuse annually by 2030, followed by a dramatic expansion — about one million additional acre-feet by 2040 — as more treatment and reuse projects are built statewide. The strategy turns water recycling from a niche…
Water reuse isn’t a futuristic idea — it’s already how rivers work. Across major waterways like the Mississippi, the Colorado, and California’s Bay-Delta system, communities routinely rely on water that has been used upstream, treated, and returned to the river before being withdrawn again downstream. Modern reuse projects make that…
Most people know Earth has more saltwater than freshwater — but how much more? On Water Street outside of the Reservoir Center in Washington, D.C., we asked visitors to guess. Answers ranged from 70% freshwater to 15%, 10%, and even 2%. The most common answer hovered around 20%, likely because…
Building new water supply in California now requires assembling funding as carefully as engineering. Water reuse projects often rely on layered financing — combining local rates, state programs, and federal support — because the infrastructure is expensive but increasingly necessary as climate pressure reduces reliability of imported sources. “It does…