Smart water trends to shape the future

Staying at home during the current global pandemic has deepened the need for connectivity, proving that digital solutions are not only a nice-to-have but a must-have. Organizations must proactively secure their operations, manage communications, and use tools to stay ahead of uncertainty and remain competitive.

Evolving climate events have demonstrated the urgency of building for resilience, and the risk is higher for areas that already experience water stress. To build a sustainable water future, the infrastructure will only be as strong as the components needed to address other challenges, such as quality, customers, information technology, and operations.

As entire supply chains are delayed, operators work from home, and the use of digital media changes, the voice of the customer will become front and center. Even in the early product development stages, building the user experience should rely on current data and require a renewed dedication for understanding customers’ needs to fuel businesses more effectively for their users.

The need for equitable distribution and access to clean drinking water and wastewater services is top priority for many SWAN members and industry partners who are actively working to address gaps in water availability and cleanliness. A big challenge for achieving equity and affordability is when the efforts and their benefits are not received or perceived by users. To address this, decision...

To address the aging workforce and welcome fresh perspectives, organizations must consider the strategic roles that will become necessary and embrace innovative change for effective workforce development. This begins with the hiring process, offering training opportunities, and building a system of accountability to support employees, especially if remotely working.

Utilities are an essential service that exists across the globe, so one would assume we all operate in the same way, according to Jennifer Ribeiro, chief information officer at City West Water and SWAN Forum council member. “Working alongside inter-national colleagues gives insights into new and different ways of working. We are able to access similar organizations, which have solved our...

The water sector has engaged with predictive modeling for many years, but as consumer behaviors are rapidly changing and new technologies emerge, there is a growing need for long-term planning to drive business decisions.

Many water sector experts are united in the belief that digitization is the way forward. Understanding the challenges in the implementation of digital technologies from a variety of perspectives from around the world is vital to developing effective solutions and action plans.