ARTICLES BY KEVIN WESTERLING

• Building A Better Water Workforce Starts With People, Not Positions

  7/10/2026

  A discovery at ACE26 offers practical ideas for attracting, developing, and retaining the next generation of water professionals.

• An Attendee's Guide To ACE26

  6/12/2026

  What to expect, where to focus, and how to get the most from AWWA’s flagship water event.
• World Cup 2026: A Stress Test For U.S. Water Utilities

  6/10/2026

  As the FIFA World Cup kicks off across the U.S. this summer, most attention will be on transportation, security, and stadium readiness. But the bigger strain will be less visible: water and wastewater systems.
• Turning AMI Data Into Better Customer Service

  5/18/2026

  For decades, the relationship between a water utility and its customers was simple. As water flows, the bills go out, and sometimes complaints come back. Customers had little visibility into how much water they were actually using on a day-to-day basis, and utilities had limited tools to give them any. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has long since changed that equation. 

• Water Infrastructure Has A New Bottleneck — And It's Not Money

  5/1/2026

  Billions have been approved, but millions remain idle. The EPA's new report on earmarks sheds light on the logjam.
• What Is The Future Of Source Water Protection?

  4/28/2026

  Water utility managers and municipal leaders have long struggled amid the convergence of several threats to public water supplies. During a recent Water Online Live event, I sat with a panel of industry experts to examine the transition from reactive crisis management to a proactive, adaptive resilience framework.
• Q&A: Inside A Municipal Water Deal That Didn't Happen — And Why That Matters

  4/22/2026

  After initially voting for it, the Rahway (NJ) Municipal Council reversed course and canceled its bid process for the potential sale of the city’s water utility. As more municipalities explore alternative ownership, financing, or partnership models to address aging water infrastructure, Rahway’s experience offers a useful case study in how quickly these processes can shift — and why — explored in this Q&A with Obermayer’s Tom Wyatt.
• Americans Rank Water Reliability Alongside Cost Of Living As A Top National Priority

  4/15/2026

  Reliable access to water now ranks alongside inflation and the cost of living as one of the most important national issues for U.S. voters, according to the 2026 Value of Water Index, the latest national survey conducted by the Value of Water Campaign.
• When Drinking Water Raises Bigger Questions About Brain Health And Environmental Risk

  3/13/2026

  A new study linking certain groundwater sources to higher Parkinson’s risk underscores a broader question for the water sector: how environmental exposures in drinking water may influence long-term health.

• EPA Seeks Court‑Ordered Removal Of 4 PFAS Limits

  2/23/2026

  The U.S. EPA is testing a new procedural strategy to remove four PFAS drinking‑water limits from ongoing litigation, asking the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to invalidate those limits on the grounds that the EPA itself committed a procedural misstep when issuing the 2024 PFAS rule.
• Putting The National Toxicology Program's Fluoride Review In Context

  2/13/2026

  Despite renewed public concern over fluoride and cognition, the National Toxicology Program’s findings focus on high‑fluoride groundwater conditions — not the controlled levels used in U.S. drinking water systems. Understanding that distinction is critical for utilities navigating policy questions and community expectations.
• Down And Dirty With Digital: How AI Enhances Water Infrastructure Fieldwork

  1/14/2026

  Fieldwork is at the heart of infrastructure expansion and rehabilitation, as utilities, engineers, and contractors collaborate to build the systems and structures that treat and move water. The opportunity is great, but so are the challenges. Which is why new, digitally-enhanced tools are needed.

• 2026 Water Utility Outlook: Regulation, AI, And Resilience In The Face Of Scarcity

  11/12/2025

  Global Water Outcomes expert notes that “water utilities are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities,” citing the role of digital solutions moving forward.
• HAAs In The EU: Monitoring For Haloacetic Acids Under The Drinking Water Directive

  11/7/2025

  In this Q&A, Dr. Elke Süss of Metrohm addresses the urgent need for haloacetic acid testing in response to “one of the most significant updates to EU drinking water monitoring in recent years.”