Utility Management Solutions

  1. Emerging Technologies In Municipal Water Treatment: Trends And Challenges For Utility Operators 5/1/2026
    The technology landscape for municipal water and wastewater treatment spans everything from inline water quality monitoring to industrial waste reuse program integration. Each category brings measurable operational benefits and real implementation hurdles. Here’s what operators need to know.
  2. Applying Two Flood Models To Cross-Check And Improve Each Other — And Maybe Saving A Downstream Village In The Process 5/1/2026
    Getting a second opinion is a time-tested piece of wisdom. During a recent project for a municipal water supply utility, we found that this advice also applies to modeling the effects storms have on the municipality’s reservoirs and dams, and the potential flooding impacts downstream of the dams.
  3. How Satellite IoT Can Enhance Remote Water System Monitoring 5/1/2026
    There is a noticeable shift in how monitoring data is being treated across the water sector. It is no longer something that sits quietly in the background of operations, collected for compliance, and reviewed periodically. It is being examined more closely, and more often, by a wider set of stakeholders.
  4. 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.
  5. Common AMI Implementation Mistakes And How To Avoid Them 4/23/2026

    The journey from manual water-meter reads to a fully integrated digital ecosystem is long and complex. To help utilities along, the Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) released the global Smart Metering Playbook, which includes both implementation best practices and common pitfalls. Here are five common advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) rollout mistakes from the Playbook, along with examples of how to overcome them.

  6. Heavy Rain On Snow Is Testing Aging Dams Across Michigan And Wisconsin — This Is The Future In A Warming World 4/22/2026
    For much of Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as northern Illinois, 2026 has been the wettest March and April on record. The region’s aging water infrastructure was never designed for the volume of water it is facing. That’s a troubling sign for the future, with flooding becoming more common as global temperatures rise.
  7. 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.
  8. Why Multi‑Commodity Utilities Need Smart Meter Data Management 4/22/2026

    Breaking down data silos allows multi-commodity utilities to improve operational efficiency and infrastructure visibility. By managing water and electric data on a shared platform, providers can detect leaks faster and support long-term conservation goals.

  9. The Industry Has Money, Technology, And Urgency — So Why Is Nothing Moving Faster? (7 Takeaways From The Water Week 2026 Press Conference) 4/20/2026

    The water industry faces a critical disconnect between available federal funding and project execution. As workforce shortages and regulatory risks accelerate, stakeholders must bridge the communication gap to ensure long-term resilience and infrastructure stability. Hear from Water Online's publisher, Travis Kennedy, about these topics and more that were discussed at Water Week 2026.

  10. When Growth Outpaces Infrastructure: How The City Of Conroe Built A Future-Forward Software-Defined Water System Ready For What's Next 4/20/2026
    For fast-growing cities, the challenge is no longer whether modernization is needed, but how to do it without increasing risk or complexity. The City of Conroe, Texas offers a clear example of what it looks like to modernize with intent, by addressing not just equipment, but the underlying architecture of water operations.