Colin Sabol, president of Xylem‘s Measurement and Control Solutions business, says the digital technology transformation in the water utility industry is accelerating and that investment in the sector could continue to increase in the short term.
Sabol joined Water Finance & Management in an exclusive interview recently to discuss the outlook for water utilities on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic and as digital solutions such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and remote monitoring continue to be embraced by water systems.
“The demand for water continues to grow across the globe,” says Sabol, who has 20 years of experience working in the water sector. “We have a limited supply of clean water and it’s being jeopardized and challenged through pollution, aging infrastructure and severe weather events. Our customers and the communities that they serve are turning towards digital technologies to help them address things like water scarcity, resilience and affordability.”
Sabol also points out that in addition to optimizing metering accuracy through AMI, a growing trend for utilities is addressing other pain points in the system like pressure management, water quality and non-revenue water through the benefits offered by AMI and smart utility networks.
Xylem’s Measurement and Control Solutions segment includes the company’s metrology, analytics and assessment services businesses. Watch the full interview above with WF&M managing editor Andrew Farr, part of the journal’s Water Finance & Management Conversations series.
