Converging Challenges, Unified Solutions: How Three Overlapping Trends Are Shaping Public Water

By Isaac Pellerin

The digital transformation has arrived in the water sector. Where utilities once relied on paper records, manual readings, and reactive maintenance, many now embrace digital platforms, sensors, and analytics to optimize operations and extend the life of infrastructure. This trend is getting a big lift from federal and state regulations and increased public awareness of water quality. New PFAS and lead line removal regulations mandate that information be stored, submitted, and available to the public digitally, and the availability of state revolving funds (SRFs) and grants is increasingly tied to utilities’ ability to submit digital information.

The role of AI and machine learning is expanding in the areas of non-revenue-water leak detection, lead pipe identification, predictive maintenance, energy optimization, and asset condition monitoring. These tools can analyze massive data sets and identify patterns in hours, minutes, or seconds — work that would take people days or weeks to complete (and for some tasks, the work is simply beyond human capacity). With AI, utilities can predict equipment failures, optimize chemical dosing, and respond more swiftly to emergencies.