Readers of this magazine do not need to be told how important safe, clean water is for daily life. During this year’s Water Week, hundreds of water professionals from across the country come together in Washington, D.C. to advocate before Congress and the Biden/Harris Administration on behalf of the local communities they serve. In the wake of the enactment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and its unprecedented funding allocations for water infrastructure over the next five years, Water Week participants spoke about how the sector is implementing this historic investment and how those working at the national level can elevate water as a national priority.
Indeed, this work come at a crucial time for the sector — according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure will require nearly $750 billion over 20 years just to maintain current service levels. To comply with new regulations and to solve several complex water management challenges across the U.S., partnerships and innovation will go a long way.
For this month’s cover story, we’ve chosen to highlight several innovations in the drinking water treatment space. From inexpensive hydrogels to metal-filtering foam; solar-powered purification; nanojars that catch chromate; and reusable, renewable sorbents; WaterWorld Assistant Editor Jeremy Wolfe rounds up these innovations in “Tapping Treatment Potential” on page 10.
In “Looking at the Bigger Picture,” Yolanda Coleman Kokayi writes on how non-traditional metrics for measuring return on investment (ROI) have paved the way for water utilities to embrace technology solutions.
“Return On Investment (ROI) from digital adoption can be realized in many different ways, yet traditional business practice has been to tie it solely back to dollars and cents,” she writes. “There are, however, other measurables that are equally valuable and can help utilities assess the success of a new technology deployment.”
Indeed, utilities that are able to measure more can benefit from leveraging these insights to build a forward-thinking culture that trickles down to their customers. If yours is one of the many utility companies looking at digital solutions, you’ll want to read more on page 28.
With these new technologies and the spotlight that historic investments have placed on the water and wastewater sectors, I’ve never been more excited about being a part of the water industry than I am today. As you no doubt have heard, Endeavor Business Media (publisher of WaterWorld) has acquired the Scranton-Gillette water brands, including Water & Wastes Digest and Storm Water Solutions. Over the coming months, we will be working together to bring our audiences the highest caliber of water, wastewater and stormwater news through our industry-leading websites, e-newsletters, and print publications.
Next month, both teams will be in San Antonio, when for the first time in two years, AWWA’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE22) is held in person on June 12-15. On page 12, we begin our annual coverage of the event, with a show preview followed by a roundup of products to keep an eye out for as you walk to the exhibit hall floor.
I am looking forward to speaking with water and wastewater professionals from across the globe, and I hope you will stop by booth 2080 if you happen to be in attendance.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you in San Antonio! WW
Published in WaterWorld magazine, May 2022.
