Today's world is full of subscription models. Up until the early part of the 21st century, "subscriptions" only pertained to physical items you waited for to come in the mail, like magazines and books, and some things for which you weren't waiting like CDs (I can't be the only one whose first brush with collections was Columbia Music). Anything else was considered a membership (e.g. the gym I signed up for and went to once) or just plainly, a bill, as in a utility bill. 

Then something strange happened: software that you used to own became something you rented by the month. It worked. Instead of having to pony up five hundred bucks for a boxed copy of Microsoft Office in the 90's, which, back then, was a lot of money, in 2013 it became a very manageable $8 a month. This was a good business model for the software companies, Wall Street loved the predictable, recurring revenue, and it put professional-grade tools within closer reach. 

Instead of relying on an employer, a school-subsidized student license or having to save a few hundred dollars to spare, more ordinary people could afford Word and Excel. Suddenly, a decent word processor no longer involved correction tape, and balancing a checkbook didn't require a calculator (*if you could figure out Excel's numerous and complex formulas). 

Then came entertainment content streaming services where we were also slowly weened from the hard copy DVD in the mailbox onto straight web streaming for way cheaper than cable. Once the idea of recurring payments normalized, this way to manage money spread into nearly every corner of life. Now you can buy almost anything on a subscription model down to razors, dog toys, food and even invisible storage units called "the cloud."

This is why a story pitch that arrived in my email last month grabbed my attention: Infrastructure as a Service. Fairly recently, Metering as a Service came on the scene in the water industry, and now here's another new term. OK ... tell me more.

Was this going to be another death-by-a-thousand-monthly-payments business model? Is it just piggybacking off a buzzword or a profitability trend? Or is this a subscription model that could help address the mounting financial strain of replacing and maintaining aging water infrastructure? I mean, we are in the first century of the third millennium, which, when I think about it, sounds crazy. Maybe anything is possible.

In this Q&A, WaterWorld spoke with newly appointed CEO Adam Cain about Sustainability Partners' Infrastructure as a Service model, how it works in practice, and whether it offers utilities a new way to finance critical infrastructure without the traditional burden of large upfront capital expenditures. Don't skip the case studies.

WaterWorld: This approach may be a new concept to some: how is it solving a problem?

Adam Cain: The biggest misconception is that the model is simply another financing mechanism. It isn't. It's a better way of delivering and maintaining essential infrastructure.

We partner with public sector organizations from planning and deployment through ongoing maintenance and support, helping ensure critical infrastructure continues to perform over the long term.

Too often, public agencies and utilities find themselves in a cycle of aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and repeated replacement. Our goal is to break that cycle by creating a long-term partnership that focuses on delivering reliable service rather than planning the next replacement project.

WW: What is Metering as a Service and is that a subset of this approach?

AC: Metering as a Service is simply one application of Infrastructure as a Service focused on water metering. It applies the same long-term partnership model to one of the most critical assets in a water system.

Modern metering gives municipalities and utilities better visibility into their systems, improving billing accuracy, leak detection, conservation and long-term planning. Rather than simply replacing meters, we're helping build a smarter, more reliable water system over the long term.

WW: How does this model help public sector organizations make critical water infrastructure improvements while conserving capital, which is especially important for budgets that always seem to be tight?

AC: One of the biggest advantages is predictability. Most public entities already budget for operating expenses every year. Our model allows communities to put critical infrastructure in place without the large upfront capital investment that often delays projects.

Just as important, the monthly service includes the ongoing maintenance and monitoring needed to keep those assets performing as intended. That helps public agencies avoid unexpected repair costs, reduce deferred maintenance and better plan for the future.

The case studies

WW: In the case of especially residential applications, how does the model reduce water waste, and thus reduce, or even eliminate, the possibility of high water bills?

AC: One of the biggest sources of water waste in residential systems is the leak no one recognizes. A running toilet, irrigation issue or underground leak can go unnoticed for weeks or even months before a homeowner receives a bill.

By modernizing metering infrastructure through Metering as a Service, utilities gain access to more timely and accurate water-use data. That makes it possible to identify unusual consumption sooner and proactively notify customers before a relatively small problem becomes a major leak and an unexpectedly high bill.

We saw that firsthand with Roosevelt County Water Co-op in New Mexico. Under its previous manual-reading system, a leak that began just after a meter reading could go undetected for nearly a month. With its new metering system, the co-op can now contact members when irregular usage is detected, giving them the opportunity to address leaks much earlier. The co-op estimates that early leak detection contributed to 29 million gallons of water saved in 2024 compared with 2023, the first full year after the new meters were installed.

As Roosevelt County general manager Ursula Parker put it, the technology shifted the co-op “from reactive to proactive.” That is the real value: helping protect customers from excessive costs while conserving a critical resource and giving the community greater visibility into how its water system is performing.

WW: Can you provide an example of a public water utility or municipality that has had success using Infrastructure as a Service? What was its biggest challenge?

AC: Jackson, Mississippi is a great example because the challenge wasn't simply aging infrastructure; it was restoring confidence in the entire water system.

After a failed metering project left the city with unreliable meter readings, inaccurate billing and millions of dollars in lost revenue, Jackson found itself in an incredibly difficult position. Customers had lost trust in their bills, the utility was struggling to collect revenue and it still owed millions on the failed project. At the same time, it didn't have the capital to invest in another metering system.

Through Infrastructure as a Service, Jackson was able to deploy a new advanced metering infrastructure without an upfront capital investment. More importantly, the model provided ongoing maintenance and modernization, so the city wasn't simply purchasing technology; it was entering into a long-term partnership focused on keeping that infrastructure performing over time.

The results have been significant. The new system restored accurate monthly billing, increased visibility into water use and customer leaks, and helped rebuild public confidence in the utility. Revenue collection improved from approximately 54% to 90%, putting JXN Water on a much stronger path toward long-term financial sustainability. Utility leaders also gained the data they needed to identify long-standing leaks and better manage the overall water system.

For me, that's what Infrastructure as a Service is really about. It's not just replacing infrastructure. It's helping communities solve long-term operational challenges by ensuring critical infrastructure is maintained and cared for long after it's installed.

WW: Beyond metering, what other infrastructure challenges can this help public entities solve?

AC: The common challenge across all types of infrastructure is that public sector organizations are being asked to do more with aging assets, limited budgets and fewer resources. The Infrastructure as a Service model can be applied across a wide range of essential infrastructure, including water and wastewater systems, solar and energy storage, microgrids, transportation electrification and charging, HVAC systems and more. Regardless of the asset, the goal is the same: help public entities deploy critical infrastructure without upfront capital while ensuring those assets are maintained, monitored, and performing over time.

It’s a scalable model that isn't about solving a single infrastructure problem — it's about giving public organizations a better way to deliver and sustain critical infrastructure over the long term.

WW: Why is ongoing maintenance such an important part of the model?

AC: Because infrastructure is never "set it and forget it." Every asset requires ongoing attention to perform reliably over the long term. 

Traditional projects often end when the infrastructure is commissioned. Our approach is different. We stay engaged to help ensure the infrastructure continues performing as intended, reducing unexpected failures and helping public sector organizations avoid falling back into the cycle of deferred maintenance and costly replacements.

WW: What advice would you give a pubic sector organization that's considering Infrastructure as a Service for its infrastructure needs?

AC: Start with the problem you're trying to solve, not the technology you're trying to buy. The most successful projects begin with a clear understanding of the long-term goals — whether that's improving reliability, replacing aging infrastructure, or conserving capital.

Just as importantly, choose a partner that's committed for the long haul. Infrastructure shouldn't become someone else's problem the day it's commissioned. Look for a solution that includes ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and modernization, so your infrastructure continues delivering value for years to come.