RESILIENCY RESOURCES

• After The Fire: What The 2026 Wildfires And El Niño Could Mean For U.S. Lakes And Reservoirs In 2027

  In July, smoke from Canadian wildfires spread across the upper Midwest and Northeast. Now a strengthening El Niño is set to influence the coming winter. Both events matter to lake and reservoir managers because their effects on water quality will continue to emerge long after the skies clear or the El Niño passes.

• Modernizing Pump Stations Without Compromising Cybersecurity

  Incremental digitalization can help wastewater teams reduce field workloads, improve system visibility, respond to disruptions, and modernize legacy infrastructure without a wholesale technology overhaul.

• Why OT Cybersecurity In Water Treatment Starts Before Design

  Growing connectivity, new regulations, and long-term operational requirements are pushing cybersecurity decisions into the earliest stages of industrial project design.
• Beyond Water-Stress Scores: Assessing Infrastructure Resilience At The Asset Level

  Water-stress screening can identify where an infrastructure asset deserves closer attention. Assessing resilience requires further steps: understanding the asset’s water profile, the reliability and security of its supply, the pressure it places on local resources, and whether adaptation can keep it operational and economically viable over time.
• From Warning To Reality: Lessons From The Latest OT Attacks On Water Utilities

  On July 10, I published an article warning that water and wastewater utilities had become prime targets for state-sponsored cyber actors, describing how attackers exploit internet-exposed PLCs, how the IT/OT divide leaves organizations vulnerable, and why the sector needed to act before an incident forced their hand. Today, that scenario is no longer hypothetical.

• Midyear Reality Check: How Accurate Have Our 2026 Water Predictions Been So Far?

  At the start of 2026, Kevin Westerling and I laid out a compelling roadmap on The Water Online Show, highlighting the trends we believed would shape the water and wastewater industry. Now, halfway through the year, I wanted to take a step back and evaluate how those predictions are playing out in the real world.
• SWAN Corner: From Compliance To Resilience — Practical Lessons In OT Recovery For Water Utilities

  Water and wastewater utilities have become attractive targets for cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors. CISA has repeatedly warned that drinking water and wastewater systems are vulnerable because they often lack the resources and technical capacity to adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices. The question is no longer whether your utility will face a cyber incident, but when — and whether you will be ready.
• The Resilient Utility: Why AI Is The New Social Safety Net For Water

  For vulnerable communities, the cost of infrastructure fragility is not just financial; it is existential. By shifting our focus from "smart water" to "resilient water," we can use AI to build a social safety net that protects both our infrastructure and the communities that depend on it.
• How Risk Management Can Build More Resilient Utilities

  From rapidly evolving cyber threats and extreme weather patterns to regulatory pressures and emerging contaminants, modern water and wastewater utilities are facing an unprecedented era of growing risks. To navigate these challenges, forward-thinking organizations are adopting structured risk assessment frameworks that support long-term resilience rather than reactive emergency response.
• 5 Takeaways To Prepare For Hurricane Season And Build More Resilient Communities

  Stronger storms are exposing the limits of outdated infrastructure. From upgrading capacity to building stronger partnerships, here are five key lessons utilities can apply now to prepare for hurricane season and keep critical water systems running under pressure.