Articles by: Contributing Author

Tapping Brine’s Wealth: The Next Evolution for Desalination?

Tapping Brine’s Wealth: The Next Evolution for Desalination?

Water Management July 17, 2026 at 3:05 pm

By Nikolay Voutchkov Brine valorization plants are the next step in the evolution of desalination technology, which opens a new horizon for wider use of desalination as a baseline source of drought-proof and environmentally and fiscally sustainable water supply. Over the past decade, the desalinationRead More

Condition Assessment: How Much Detail is Needed and Where?

Condition Assessment: How Much Detail is Needed and Where?

By Laura Sproule Water distribution pipelines are underground, under pressure, and largely out of sight, which means deterioration is often undetected until a main breaks, or leaks surface, or water quality is compromised. Water utilities need to make the right capital investment for renewal decisions,Read More

PFAS and Microplastics: Are Patterns Repeating?

PFAS and Microplastics: Are Patterns Repeating?

Water Management July 13, 2026 at 8:05 am

By Ken Sansone & Valentina Marastoni-Bieser Over the past decade, PFAS have reshaped the drinking water regulatory landscape. The Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) revealed PFAS to be widely present in drinking water across the United States, adding to public outcry amid ongoingRead More

How Utilities Manage Water Demand During Drought

How Utilities Manage Water Demand During Drought

Water Finance, Water Management July 1, 2026 at 10:05 am

By Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi After a wet start to the year, drought headlines in California have largely faded. However, drought conditions now appear to be intensifying in several western states (e.g., Colorado, Utah, among others), as well as on the East Coast in the Carolinas.Read More

From a Different Era: The Case for Revisiting EPA’s Affordability Thresholds

From a Different Era: The Case for Revisiting EPA’s Affordability Thresholds

By Jason Mumm The numbers that guide affordability policies in the water sector have been with us for decades. They are 2 percent of the median household income for wastewater, 2.5 percent for drinking water, and 4.5 percent combined; most practitioners have treated them asRead More

How Congressional Earmarks Are Draining America’s Water Funds

How Congressional Earmarks Are Draining America’s Water Funds

Water Finance June 25, 2026 at 3:25 pm

By Denise Schmidt The United States is approaching a water infrastructure funding cliff just as a key financing tool is being weakened. State Revolving Funds (SRFs) are one of the most effective infrastructure financing tools in the United States. The revolving nature of SRFs enabledRead More

Seeing the Unseen

Seeing the Unseen

Condition Assessment, Technology Perspectives April 27, 2026 at 12:00 pm

How Digital Subsurface Insight Can Reshape Water Resilience By Dr. Thomas Krom Today, we are seeing what I call a perfect storm facing water managers. A myriad of challenges are complicating the ability to supply sufficient, affordable water. Changing weather patterns – from prolonged droughtsRead More

Got Pumps?

Got Pumps?

Condition Assessment, Water Management April 20, 2026 at 11:45 am

Check Out the Hydraulic Institute’s Data Tool for Pump Systems By Isaac Holowell & Peter Gaydon Engineering professionals often find themselves in need of comprehensive pump system information when performing work related to water and wastewater conveyance. The ability to quickly and easily access pumpRead More

Are We Measuring Water Affordability Wrong?

Are We Measuring Water Affordability Wrong?

Rates & Affordability, Water Finance April 20, 2026 at 11:15 am

Putting Poverty at the Center of the Affordability Discussion By Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi Over the past decade, water and wastewater affordability has emerged as a pressing concern due to rising utility costs and stagnant household incomes. In response, many utilities are trying to incorporate affordabilityRead More

Critical Priorities Ahead as Sector Eyes Clean, Drinking Water SRF Reauthorization

Critical Priorities Ahead as Sector Eyes Clean, Drinking Water SRF Reauthorization

Washington Report April 13, 2026 at 7:05 am

By Kaitlyn Montán On Capitol Hill, water policy continues to be heavily influenced by tightening federal budgets for agencies relevant to the water sector, and intensifying partisan divisions. While the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and other stakeholders have faced a rapidly shifting policyRead More