Why Reliable Communication Is Key To The Future Of Water

Droughts on the West Coast, freezing temperatures in Texas, severe storms on the East Coast, and weather events are pushing utilities to the brink. Beyond natural disasters, water utilities are also increasingly experiencing threats to their operations in the form of cyberattacks, energy insecurity, and more.

Quite simply, the world has become a lot less predictable and that’s unlikely to change. As such, water utilities will have to adapt in order to minimize risk to normal service. One key to doing this is to have a reliable communication system. The system must be able to continuously provide information about operations throughout and after an event, all while allowing utility workers to send relevant information to the appropriate parties, including repair teams, municipal leaders, and ratepayers.

A reliable communications network maintains a delicate balance of four key features: robustness, redundancy, reconnaissance, and resiliency. This article will explain what this means, why it matters, and the necessary steps to build one.