ARTICLES BY KEVIN WESTERLING

• A Tiny Bit Of PFAS

  7/12/2024

  In the most recent edition of Water Innovations, there is not a single article focused on PFAS. That wouldn't be exceptional if not for the fact that discussion around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances has so thoroughly dominated the water space lately. And yet, I penned this as an intro to the edition — just "a tiny bit of PFAS" content — because a small portion of PFAS is of the utmost importance in terms of treatment, policy, and cost.

• A Digital Journey Through ACE24

  6/28/2024

  With more than 10,500 attendees at ACE24, AWWA's Annual Conference and Exposition is getting back on track to (almost) pre-COVID levels. And if you were away for a while, you were struck by the amount of digital technologies on the show floor.
• The Path To Innovation In Water: How New Technology Companies Inspire Progress

  5/22/2024

  What drives the water and wastewater sector to new frontiers of innovation and capability? A roundtable of industry leaders brings light to the topic.
• From Scarcity To Stewardship To Sustainability

  5/2/2024

  Every drop of water counts, but when we talk about our collective conservation efforts for the greater good, it's natural to think about high-volume users. Those users are generally on the industrial side of things — agriculture, of course; the energy industry, with its intractable relationship to water; and also the food and beverage industry. Thankfully, there are leaders in these spaces who not only understand the need for sustainable water management — they pioneer it.
• Protecting Our Planet Daily: Water And Wastewater Technologies At The Forefront Of Sustainability

  4/23/2024

  Water Online spoke with Teresa Ortigosa, Global Sustainability Director at Veolia Water Technologies, to get her thoughts on the planet's biggest environmental threats, recommended practices to make us more sustainable, and some technology solutions to help enable the transition.
• Saving Water, One Drip At A Time

  3/20/2024

  We live in a world of great disparities — whether earned or unjust — but we should all agree that everyone deserves enough water for their basic needs, which is why worsening water scarcity is an urgent human crisis. Thankfully, we have thought leaders such as Seth Siegel, author of Let There Be Water: Israel's Solution for a Water-Starved World, bringing the issue (and solutions) to the forefront.

• Testing The (Storm)Waters

  3/7/2024

  Heavy rains in California prove the worthiness of the "sponge city" concept.
• PepsiCo's Vision: Improving Water Wherever It Operates

  1/19/2024

  As Senior Director of Global Climate and Water Solutions for PepsiCo, Grant oversees a program that actually improves water conditions, rather than simply mitigating PepsiCo's own impact or embracing sustainability merely for efficiency/business benefits. In this Q&A, Grant details PepsiCo's philosophy on water stewardship, the elements of their ambitious water strategy, and the outcomes they hope to achieve.
• Water Trends, Now And Then

  1/10/2024

  Even though this edition of Water Innovations looks forward into 2024, I’d like to use this space to look back on trends within the water and wastewater industry in 2023. We’ve just begun 2024 — and we’re still in the thick of 2023’s issues, since they didn’t get resolved with the turning of the calendar. Furthermore, recent challenges inform future trends, as policy and technologies are devised and improved to confront the most pressing needs of the day.

• Leadership In Times Of Water Stress: Answers For Pressing Issues, Including PFAS

  12/5/2023

  AqueoUS Vets (AV) is a water and wastewater treatment company with a unique name, one that references the service background of its founder while also invoking traits often attributed to the U.S. military — among them, committed leadership, such as that provided by AV's president and CEO, Dr. Mirka Wilderer.

• Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Getting Answers To Evolving Water Issues

  11/7/2023

  A review of the WEFTEC tradeshow, current and emerging water threats, and the latest water and wastewater solutions from the VP of a fast-rising treatment provider.
• Free Will And Cybersecurity

  11/3/2023

  Even with federal regulations mandating action for municipal water and wastewater systems unfinished, the commitment to protect the public should compel utilities to improve cybersecurity.
• Matching Water Trends To Technologies

  10/27/2023

  The CEO of one of the world’s most prominent water technology companies talks about solving far-reaching water challenges, as well as local treatment issues, through innovation.

• Racing Towards Sustainability

  9/8/2023

  As water and wastewater utilities come to grips with decarbonization, many have set ambitious targets to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. To evaluate progress across the industry, global water technology company Xylem commissioned a survey of 100 utilities. I spoke with Austin Alexander, Xylem's VP of Sustainability and Social Impact, to break down the results and key trends driving a greener water industry.