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by Travis Loop
waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for sustainability and equity in water. Hosted by journalist Travis Loop, the podcast features stories from across the U.S. about water infrastructure, conservation, innovation, technology, policy, PFAS, climate resilience, and more.
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- 2 days ago25 min
Avoiding The Constant Infrastructure Triage
Water utilities may never escape the need to triage infrastructure, but better data, design, and monitoring can reduce the constant churn of reactive responses.In this episode, Jeff Bridge, Charis Klimas, and Brett Braganz of Oldcastle Infrastructure examine how utilities can move upstream of failure by choosing materials for the actual application, designing around workforce constraints, and verifying underground problems before committing crews and capital.Bridge connects conveyance efficiency to both water and energy loss, explaining that deteriorated pipes force utilities to pump more treated water to deliver the same amount to customers.He also argues that utilities increasingly need technical partners who can help match materials and products to the long-term demands of a project rather than simply supply a standard component.Klimas explains how workforce shortages are changing infrastructure design, including the use of lighter equipment and automated meter-reading features that reduce field labor and allow staff to focus on more critical maintenance.She also describes a broader shift from judging infrastructure mainly by upfront price toward considering durability, installation demands, maintenance needs, and total lifecycle cost.Braganz outlines a four-stage digital approach: predict where failure is most likely, monitor and confirm the condition, plan the appropriate response, and move the work into execution.That process can elevate a high-consequence water main serving a hospital, detect leaks before they surface, and show when an asset expected to fail is still performing well enough to remain in service.The opportunity is to break the cycle of waiting for infrastructure to fail and then scrambling to respond—replacing guesswork with evidence, preserving assets that still work, and directing limited labor and capital where intervention will matter most.Learn more about Oldcastle Infrastructure.waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.
- 1 weeks ago26 min
The Digital Shift: From Reactive To Proactive
Digital systems, increasingly strengthened by artificial intelligence, are helping water utilities move from reacting to failures toward anticipating where infrastructure problems are most likely to occur.Joshua Cantone of SUEZ explains how that shift is changing decisions about pipes, pumps, wells, treatment plants, and long-term capital investment.Many utilities already collect large amounts of information through control systems, maintenance records, hydraulic models, and asset-management platforms.The opportunity now is to connect those datasets and use AI-assisted analysis to identify which assets should be cleaned, repaired, rehabilitated, or replaced before they fail.That preventive approach matters because emergency infrastructure repairs can cost two to three times more than work that is planned and coordinated in advance.Digital planning tools can test thousands of infrastructure scenarios, helping utilities compare construction costs with the energy and operating expenses that accumulate over decades.Cantone also argues that growing familiarity with tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot is making utility employees more comfortable with specialized AI designed for water operations.Groundwater monitoring offers another example of the shift, with more frequent data helping operators track well performance, maintain production, and reduce the energy required for pumping.Smart meters and digital network models are also giving utilities a clearer view of non-revenue water, which Cantone says remains near 20 to 30 percent at many U.S. utilities compared with roughly 5 to 15 percent in parts of the United Kingdom.The next phase of digital water will depend on whether utilities can build reliable data systems—and enough operator trust—to use AI and other digital tools in everyday decisions. waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.
- 1 weeks ago
AI As The Water Operator's Copilot
Water utilities are rich in data but often struggle to turn decades of information into decisions that improve daily operations.In this episode, Travis Wagner of Trinnex explains how utilities can connect fragmented information, preserve workforce knowledge, and introduce artificial intelligence without sacrificing accuracy or security.Most utilities already collect extensive records through plant-control systems known as SCADA, geographic information systems, maintenance programs, and financial software.The first step is not necessarily collecting more data, but identifying the utility’s goals and making the existing information accessible across systems.That work is becoming more urgent as experienced operators retire and take decades of practical knowledge with them.Operations manuals, standard procedures, and historical records can help preserve some of that expertise when they are digitized and made easier for employees to search.Trinnex developed Raini as a utility-specific AI assistant that can answer questions about tasks such as maintaining a pump or backwashing a filter, while linking employees directly to the source document behind each response.The system is designed to acknowledge when it cannot find an answer, while human experts test its responses and utilities update outdated procedures that the technology brings to light.Wagner says the next generation of utility software could allow operators to request information, compare data, and generate dashboards through conversational tools, but progress should begin with clear governance, secure testing environments, and careful validation.Learn more about Trinnex. waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet.
- 1 weeks ago
Keeping Up With PFAS Rules
PFAS regulation now has more moving parts, deadlines, and compliance pathways than ever, but the bottom-line advice for water utilities is simple: keep moving.In this episode, Amanda Canida of Black & Veatch explains how utilities can navigate the regulatory complexity while advancing the treatment projects needed to meet federal drinking water standards.Federal monitoring data indicates that roughly 10 percent of public water systems could be affected by the four-parts-per-trillion limits for PFOA and PFOS. Utilities can pursue cleaner water sources or blend supplies, but many are preparing to install treatment at a central plant or directly at an individual well.EPA has proposed retaining the PFOA and PFOS limits while restarting the regulatory process for several other PFAS compounds and creating a streamlined exemption pathway for systems that need more time. Once that exemption rule is finalized, utilities would have 180 days to apply and may need interim measures such as temporary treatment, alternate water supplies, source-control planning, or public education.The challenge is increasingly financial, as construction costs have risen and demand has grown for the equipment and treatment media needed to remove PFAS. Utilities are already slowing other capital projects, shifting money between priorities, and setting aside contingency funds to cover emerging treatment needs.Canida outlines how desktop evaluations and laboratory testing can help systems compare granular activated carbon and ion exchange before committing to longer pilot studies. Utilities must also calculate when treatment needs to be operating—not merely completed—to keep their annual PFAS averages below the federal limit by April 2029.The path forward is to pursue funding now, prepare customers for difficult decisions, and design treatment systems that can adapt as regulators address more of the thousands of PFAS compounds under review.Learn more about PFAS from Black & Veatch.waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.
- 2 weeks ago
Entering An Era Of Advanced Water Treatment
Advanced water treatment is entering a new era. Utilities are moving beyond conventional treatment to tackle PFAS, expand water reuse, and secure new water supplies. That often means using technologies like membranes, ozone, activated carbon, and advanced filtration.Jaime Safulko of PCL Construction explains what's driving this wave of investment and why these projects are more complex than the treatment plants of the past. She shares lessons from the El Paso Pure Water Project, which is expected to become the nation's first direct potable reuse facility. She also highlights recycled water projects in California and new PFAS treatment facilities in Colorado that are putting advanced technologies into practice. The conversation explores why collaboration has become just as important as the treatment technology itself. Bringing project partners together earlier helps utilities evaluate options, reduce risk, and avoid costly surprises during construction. Looking ahead, Safulko expects water reuse to become much more common. She also sees more regional partnerships and a new generation of treatment technologies that improve efficiency while lowering energy use and operating costs.Learn more about PCL Construction.waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.
- 3 weeks ago
A Common Framework For Corporate Water Reporting
Water has become one of the biggest blind spots in corporate sustainability reporting, with companies measuring and disclosing water use in vastly different ways. In this episode, Lauren Enright of SCS Global Services and Alexis Morgan of World Wildlife Fund discuss the effort to create Water Scopes 1, 2, and 3—a new framework designed to bring consistency, transparency, and accountability to how organizations understand and report water impacts across their operations, energy use, and supply chains. They explain why water is fundamentally different from carbon, why supply chains often account for the vast majority of a company\'s water footprint, and how growing scrutiny of data centers, manufacturing, agriculture, and other industries is exposing the need for a common language around water stewardship. The conversation explores the role of investors, communities, NGOs, and regulators in driving better water accountability, as well as how the framework could influence future reporting standards and disclosure requirements. Looking ahead, Enright and Morgan envision a future where companies have a clearer understanding of their water risks and dependencies—and where better information leads to better decisions for watersheds, communities, and businesses alike. waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.
- Jun 21, 2026
The Water Reality In Data Center Alley
Loudoun County, Virginia is known as Data Center Alley, the longtime epicenter of the data center industry and home to one of the world's largest concentrations of digital infrastructure.As communities across the country debate the impact of data centers on water resources, Loudoun Water offers a rare look at what happens when a utility has decades of experience planning for and serving the industry.The episode features conversations with utility leaders Brian Carnes, Alton Echols, and Mark Peterson, who discuss water impacts, management processes, and advice for other systems.Despite the presence of more than 200 data centers, the utility says the sector currently accounts for about 15% of its total water use, supported by significant treatment capacity and a growing reclaimed water program.Today, roughly 40 data centers are cooled with highly treated reclaimed water instead of drinking water, using about 700 million gallons annually. The approach helps reduce nutrient loads to the Chesapeake Bay while providing data centers with a lower-cost and more resilient water supply.Loudoun Water says growth-related infrastructure is paid for by new customers, while detailed monitoring helps the utility understand water demand, wastewater flows, and operational impacts.At the same time, utility leaders emphasize that Loudoun's experience is not necessarily transferable elsewhere. Its extensive infrastructure, reclaimed water network, available supplies, and long history with the data center industry make it a unique case study as utilities nationwide navigate the rapid growth of AI and digital infrastructure.This episode is sponsored by SewerAI. From inspection to rehabilitation, SewerAI provides the tools you need to manage your entire sewer infrastructure.waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.
- Jun 15, 2026
The Water Cost Of The Cloud: Amazon Discusses Data Centers
The impact of data centers is currently one of the most discussed issues in water. In this episode, Will Hewes, Water Sustainability Lead for Amazon, shares how one of the world's largest data center operators is managing water use, responding to growing public scrutiny, and working to reduce its impact on local water resources.Hewes discusses Amazon's newly released water report, which details company-wide water use, reports a 52% improvement in water efficiency over four years, and shows progress toward its goal of becoming water positive by 2030, with the company now 75% of the way there. He explains Amazon's investments in recycled water infrastructure, including a plan to expand the use of reclaimed water from 26 facilities to 130, supported by more than $1 billion in infrastructure funding.The discussion also explores water replenishment projects ranging from leak reduction in Mexico City's water system to affordable housing water-efficiency programs in Northern Virginia. Hewes shares how local water assessments, utility partnerships, and watershed-specific strategies shape decisions about data center development and operations.It's a detailed look at how one of the world's largest technology companies is approaching the challenge of balancing digital growth with long-term water stewardship.waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainabiity.
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About waterloop
waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for sustainability and equity in water. Hosted by journalist Travis Loop, the podcast features stories from across the U.S. about water infrastructure, conservation, innovation, technology, policy, PFAS, climate resilience, and more.
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