Articles by: Contributing Author

Can Machine Learning Really Provide A Cost-Effective Desktop Analysis? By Greg Baird Artificial Intelligence, specifically machine learning, is poised to make a significant impact in underground water infrastructure asset management. Not only does machine learning drive performance optimization, it also increases efficiencies in business processesRead More

By Misty Cobb The small seaside town of Seal Rock stretches up and down Highway 101 along the Pacific coastline in Oregon. The town and surrounding areas of Seal Rock receive water services from the Seal Rock Water District, which stretches more than 10 milesRead More

By Michael Curley Water quality is a major problem throughout the United States. But it’s not nearly as bad as it used to be. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland was so polluted that it actually caught fire! That made headlines all across theRead More

By Dan Pinney Historically, utilities and municipalities have used advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to collect water consumption data for billing purposes. However, as measurement and communications technologies have evolved, there’s an increasing opportunity to gain new data within the water cycle and transform that dataRead More

By Rob Meston Effective water loss control (WLC) is one of the most critical activities every water system must face, particularly as droughts increase and conservation mandates become more stringent. Leak detection has quickly become a cornerstone of every WLC program. No matter what typeRead More

By Jason Isakovic Public clean water sewer and stormwater services are an aspect of everyday life that often goes unnoticed by the hundreds of millions of Americans that depend on them. These essential services provide communities throughout the country, both small and large, the ability toRead More

By Paul Gagliardo Water utilities are constantly looking for new technologies and tools to ensure potable water is produced and delivered in a cost effective and safe manner. Due to aging linear underground assets, transmission and distribution pipelines, utilities must invest a significant amount of moneyRead More

By Andy McCartney Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a two-part series on cash reserves for water utilities. As mentioned in the first article on operating reserves, cash reserves are required to meet the operational, maintenance and capital needs of the utility whileRead More

By Gordon Henrich As I was moderating a session at a trenchless rehab seminar it became obvious that most research and development in our industry is being done on new pipe and manholes ordered directly from a manufacturer. If our focus is rehabilitation, why aren’t weRead More

At a time when the focus should be on innovation and best value, the argument rages on over materials and price. These arguments are evidence that the role of procurement in the municipal water sector is misunderstood, undervalued or worse, both. By Jim Baehr AtRead More