Some of the biggest innovations in water projects happen before construction even begins. As treatment plants become more complex, utilities are moving away from the traditional "design first, bid later" approach. Instead, they're bringing owners, engineers, and contractors together at the very start of a project to evaluate options, weigh…
💧 H2O INTRO 👤 Meet Lily Lopez, External Affairs & Sustainability Director at Walnut Valley Water District When devastating wildfires swept through Southern California, Lily Lopez saw more than a disaster response. She saw a communications challenge that every water utility should be preparing for. As a regional network of…
America's water treatment plants are entering a new era. For decades, utilities relied on the familiar sequence of coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation to produce safe drinking water. Those processes remain essential—but today's challenges are demanding much more. Jaime Safulko of PCL Construction says utilities are rapidly investing in advanced treatment…
The California coast has been hiding one of America's strangest infrastructure projects in plain sight. From the shoreline in Long Beach, these palm tree-lined islands look like luxury resorts. They're actually active offshore oil facilities built atop the Wilmington Oil Field—one of the largest oil fields ever discovered in the…
Advanced water treatment is entering a new era. Utilities are moving beyond conventional treatment to tackle PFAS, expand water reuse, and secure new water supplies. That often means using technologies like membranes, ozone, activated carbon, and advanced filtration. Jaime Safulko of PCL Construction explains what's driving this wave of investment…
A reporting framework is only as strong as the people willing to use it. Creating a common language for corporate water reporting isn't just about publishing a new standard. It's about earning buy-in from the investors, communities, NGOs, and businesses that will ultimately decide whether it becomes meaningful—or simply another…
There are so many ways to manage water… I recently stayed on a farm in my hometown in Maryland, where at first I marveled at the beauty of the serene, picturesque rural landscape complete with a pond. Then the water geek in me took a closer look. The pond wasn’t…
America’s water utilities are being asked to do more with older systems, tighter budgets, and rising industrial demand. Black & Veatch’s 2026 Water Report, based on input from more than 600 U.S. water stakeholders, shows a sector under pressure and looking for practical ways to keep projects moving, says Donnie…
Water accounting is getting its own version of Scopes 1, 2, and 3. For years, companies have measured water in different ways, making it difficult to compare performance, understand risk, or evaluate impacts across operations and supply chains. Lauren Enright of SCS Global Services explains how the emerging Water Scopes…
💧 H2O INTRO 👤 Meet Charles Moore, Water Maintenance Coordinator for the City of Columbus Charles Moore thought his future would be on a football field, not in the water industry. But a simple piece of advice from his mother changed the course of his life: "Go work in the…
One city changed its development code. The result should reshape its water use for decades. Broomfield, Colorado, found that 60–70% of its annual water demand was going to outdoor irrigation, much of it keeping non-native Kentucky bluegrass green. Rather than relying solely on drought restrictions, the city changed the rules…
The climate sector has spent decades building a common language around carbon. Water is still speaking in different dialects. One company reports gallons. Another reports cubic meters. Some track withdrawals. Others focus on consumption. The result is a fragmented picture that makes it difficult to compare performance, assess risk, or…
Water has become one of the biggest blind spots in corporate sustainability reporting, with companies measuring and disclosing water use in vastly different ways. In this episode, Lauren Enright of SCS Global Services and Alexis Morgan of World Wildlife Fund discuss the effort to create Water Scopes 1, 2, and…
Water regulations often appear as final rules, permit decisions, or funding announcements. What the public rarely sees is the years of negotiation, technical analysis, legal review, and leadership required to get there. Former EPA Office of Water leaders Anna Wildeman and Bruno Pigott offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at how…
The biggest water challenge from a new data center may arrive before the servers do. According to Loudoun Water, one of the most critical periods occurs during construction and startup, when cooling systems and miles of piping are cleaned and prepared for operation. That process can generate wastewater containing chemicals,…
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how utilities understand and manage aging underground infrastructure. Matthew Rosenthal, co-founder of SewerAI, explains how the company is helping cities, engineers, and contractors inspect sewer and stormwater systems more efficiently by combining field data collection, AI-powered defect detection, and automated reporting tools. Operators use remote…
A city once defined by industrial waterways is betting on a future where people can safely swim in them. Milwaukee has joined the international Swimmable Cities movement, setting a goal of increasing the number of swimmable days in its rivers and Lake Michigan by 80%. It's an ambitious target for…
Innovation rarely starts with technology. It starts with people willing to challenge assumptions. At Catalyst 2025, Greg Wukasch of the San Antonio Water System described the event as a place for "new box thinking" — not simply thinking outside the box, but creating entirely new ways of approaching challenges in…
Who pays when a new data center places major demands on a water system? In Loudoun County, Virginia, utility leaders say the answer is simple: the customer creating the demand. A data center seeking a large potable water connection—such as 1 million gallons per day—must pay substantial connection fees designed…
One of the biggest misconceptions about data centers is that they all use water the same way. In Loudoun County, Virginia's Data Center Alley, utility leaders have learned that water demand varies dramatically from one facility to another. Some data centers use very little water most of the year, then…
The most important conversation about a data center often happens long before construction begins. In Loudoun County, Virginia's Data Center Alley, utility staff start talking with developers as soon as a project enters the planning process. Those early discussions focus on a deceptively simple question: How much water will the…
Millions of people in the United States still lack reliable access to safe drinking water or basic plumbing. Chris Freimont of Water For People says the Vessel Collective has spent the past year developing a roadmap to address those gaps. The plan calls for greater visibility of the problem, stronger…
Taking a dip in the 52-degree water of Lake Michigan will wake you up. But it isn't the most invigorating thing in Milwaukee. That is going to be the ReFRESH Summit held by The Water Council this October 13-14. I'll be there to moderate conversations and push participants to be…
A growing number of data centers are looking beyond drinking water. In Loudoun County, Virginia's Data Center Alley, some facilities are turning to highly treated reclaimed water for cooling. According to Loudoun Water's Alton Echols, the shift is being driven by two priorities: reducing environmental impacts and strengthening operational resilience.…