Drinking Water Features

  1. Many Cities Buried Urban Streams. Here's How To Bring Them Back 9/1/2026

    As many cities developed, streams that once flowed on the surface were buried underground to make way for growing infrastructure. However, as heavier rainfall, extreme weather and aging infrastructure place growing pressure on cities, these buried streams could become part of the solution. Restoring streams to the surface — a practice known as stream daylighting — can help manage stormwater, restore habitats, and create greener, more walkable public spaces.

  2. Advanced Water Treatment Strategies Help Data Centers Manage Cooling Water At Industrial Scale 8/25/2026
    Data centers are evolving into industrial-scale thermal-management facilities as artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), cloud platforms, and accelerated computing increase rack power density. Modern AI racks can exceed 50–120 kW per rack, creating substantially higher heat-rejection requirements than conventional enterprise infrastructure. ASHRAE's (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework identifies liquid cooling as an important architecture for these high-density environments.
  3. D.C. Circuit Upholds EPA's Hazardous Substance Designation For PFOA, PFOS 8/24/2026

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently rejected industry challenges to the EPA's designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, leaving the agency's April 2024 rule fully intact. While the case centered on the EPA's authority to make the designation, its practical significance for water utilities is simpler: the liability concerns that have accompanied the rule since its adoption remain unresolved.

  4. Colorado River Water Conservation Efforts Get Only Halfway To A Solution 8/20/2026

    In August 2026 the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both on the Colorado River, hit their lowest levels since they first began to be filled in 1936 and 1963, respectively. The federal government and the seven Colorado River basin states have been unable to reach an agreement about who should reduce water usage by how much to avoid catastrophic declines in lake levels.

  5. Reverse Osmosis Gets Smarter: New Technologies Target Energy Use And Membrane Fouling 8/18/2026

    Nearly 45–60% of a reverse osmosis (RO) plant's operating cost is linked to energy consumption, while membrane fouling can reduce productivity by 15–40% and increase cleaning costs by thousands of dollars annually. The newest generation of RO systems is therefore focused on reducing energy demand, extending membrane life, and using intelligent monitoring to predict fouling before performance declines.

  6. The Two-Sided Water Problem — What Process Manufacturers Are Missing On Both Ends Of The Line 8/4/2026

    Process manufacturing represents an underexamined water-withdrawal category. Inside every one of these facilities, water is lost twice — once at the tap, and once at the drain — both losses driven by the same root cause and both solvable by the same intervention.

  7. Modernizing Water Distribution Systems With Advanced Metering Infrastructure 7/17/2026

    The use of smart water meter systems or AMI has emerged as the vital element in a water network upgrade program, using two-way communications to relay near-real-time information on water usage, pressure variations, leak events, and usage patterns between smart meters and the utility.

  8. Brackish Water Desalination: A Strategic Imperative For Sustainable Water Stewardship Across The American Water Landscape 7/10/2026
    As droughts intensify, groundwater depletes, and climate extremes worsen, many water-stressed regions are increasingly turning to brackish groundwater desalination, for both potable use and industrial applications where water quality demands are less stringent. Hence, brackish water reserves are emerging fast as a strategic priority, ensuring a supplement for long-term national water security.
  9. Microbial And Disinfection Byproducts Regulations: Paving The Way For Efficient Compliance 7/10/2026
    Given the ongoing regulatory activity in the water industry, it’s hard to imagine another major drinking water rule on the horizon. But the U.S. EPA is planning revisions to the microbial and disinfection byproducts (MDBP) regulations.
  10. Why Smart Valves Are About To Redefine Water Infrastructure 7/10/2026
    For years, water metering followed a predictable path: manual reads, AMR, AMI, more visibility, more data. But utilities are now entering a different operational reality. Visibility alone no longer protects infrastructure.