Performance Monitoring
91 Intelligence Briefs
Calgary city council updates Water Efficiency Plan
Calgary’s city council has approved the city’s updated Water Efficiency Plan with a commitment to reducing water loss and the introduction of a year-round lawn and landscape watering schedule. The […]
Why Farmers Distrust Digital Irrigation Technology, According to UOC
Digital irrigation is sold as the automatic answer to Mediterranean drought, but adoption is slower than expected. A study from the Open University of Catalonia, published in Journal of Rural Studies, identifies five types of mistrust — epistemic, ecological, institutional, practical, and relational
Spain falls foul of wastewater treatment
Spain has been referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by the European Commission for failing to comply with wastewater regulations as set out in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The decision, announced on 29 April, comes after the country´s prolonged non-compl
The $3.8B lesson: What the North Shore settlement teaches Canada about wastewater procurement
It is the resolution the Canadian water sector has been waiting for—and one it will be dissecting for years to come. Just last week, Metro Vancouver and its original contractor, […]
Fewer sprays, better outcomes: rethinking weed control in utilities
Image: Envu Vegetation management across utility networks has long been treated as a reactive task, responding to weed outbreaks as they appear. But for asset owners managing substations, corridors and critical infrastructure, […]
Highly Automated vs Labour-Intensive Water Processes: Where the Cost Curves Actually Cross
Across the water sector, two operating models sit side by side: highly automated treatment trains running on SCADA and predictive control, and labour-intensive plants where outcomes still depend on who walks the catwalk at 2 a.m. The gap between them is not just generational — it changes risk, cost,
Better oversight of Calgary’s watermain system needed to avoid future failures
Experts agree: Calgary’s multiple watermain woes were inevitable. Siegfried Kiefer led an independent panel who examined the causes of the 2024 Bearspaw South Feeder Main failure and gathered their conclusions […]
Why water utilities need to stop buying filtration media and start buying performance
Image: vicktor/stock.adobe.com Across Australia, most water and wastewater treatment plants are already well designed. They have robust treatment trains, capable operators, and decades of operational knowledge embedded in their teams. Yet many […]
San Francisco Bay Area utilities enhance stormwater management with advanced radar network
A coalition of public water, wastewater and flood control agencies across the Bay Area that includes the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, has deployed an advanced weather radar network...
Nature as infrastructure: PFAS as an example of why the water sector must reconsider what it values
Discover the importance of protecting our natural systems while tackling the increasingly pervasive issue of PFAS.
Brussels calls on Portugal to ensure periodic review of water control measures
The national law in Portugal does not correctly transpose the obligation set out in the Water Framework Directive to periodically review water control measures to monitor water abstractions and impoundments, and other significant adverse impacts on the status of water. The European Commission sent a
The First Water Utility Manager: Frontinus vs. Modern Utilities
In 97 AD, Sextus Julius Frontinus inherited Rome's nine aqueducts—800 km of conduit serving over one million people—and found a system crippled not by poor engineering but by poor management. Leaks, theft, silted channels, and neglected maintenance drained capacity that never reached citizens. His r
Reframing Data Center Water Use: Context, Challenges & Solutions
As AI pervades every sector, data center water consumption is under scrutiny—but the headlines often miss the nuance. While global DC water use is projected to reach 3 trillion liters annually by 2025 (potentially 7× higher by 2050 without mitigation), context matters: 60% of the water footprint com
Morocco's water reserves exceed 10 billion m³, an unprecedented level since 2018
With available water resources now exceeding 10 billion cubic meters, Morocco is recording an increase of nearly 120% compared to the same period last year, an unprecedented level since 2018. This surge is largely attributed to the
Calgary's Water Crisis: A $3 Billion Lesson in Why Boring Management Beats Heroic Technology
Independent panel reveals 20 years of systematic operational failures led to Calgary's catastrophic water main ruptures—but conspicuously avoids the labor dynamics that made accountability impossible. When 60% of a city's water supply runs through a pipe classified as "low priority," and zero of thr
Improving how we track progress for river protection
A landmark 2026 study from Conservation Science Partners introduces the Protected River Index—the most comprehensive assessment of U.S. river protection ever conducted. The findings are sobering: only 12% of America's rivers are adequately protected, while 66% have no protection at all. With freshwa
Why operators are switching to mass-flow based DO-control
Operators across the APAC region have long struggled with the limitations of conventional aeration control systems. Mass-flow-based aeration control
The chemistry behind cleaner, safer sewers
Effective management of modern wastewater systems requires an understanding of the hazards and risks the system can produce for workers and the environment. Image: Hersaya/stock.adobe.com Utilities have an obligation to provide safe workplaces and better environmental outcomes. To meet these goals,
How Europe’s water utilities can face ageing infrastructure and regulations without doubling staff
At a wastewater treatment plant, where maintenance accounts for 15% to 25% of total operational costs, poor data management carries direct costs At a wastewater treatment plant, where maintenance typically accounts for 15% to 25% of total operational costs, poor data management carries significant d
Why High-Frequency Water Quality Monitoring Fails Without Operational Protocols
Water utilities worldwide demonstrate a systematic pattern of investing $150,000 to $300,000 in high-frequency sensor networks while rejecting $75,000 to $150,000 investments in operational protocols required to extract value from sensor data. Research published in Environmental Monitoring and Asses
Water leak response
Protect your facility from catastrophic water damage. Learn how documented response plans reduce damage costs by 70% through rapid detection and coordinated action. 8 expert steps for 2026.
The Best Water Quality by Country
Comprehensive 2026 analysis of global water quality using Yale's Environmental Performance Index reveals dramatic disparities across 180 countries. Seven European nations achieve perfect 100.0 scores through advanced infrastructure and treatment systems, while ten African countries score below 20, f
Why Ammonia Control Matters Now
Why Ammonia Control Matters Now" - Covers synergy with climate goals, air quality co-benefits, food security compatibility, and technological readiness
Connecting leadership insights from "The Unseen Leader" to water utility performance challenges.
The Unseen Leader: What Water Utilities Can Learn from History's Most Effective Leaders How boring management, environmental intelligence, and swimming with currents can transform utility performance …
Aeration efficiency; the next frontier for Australian WWTP sustainability
Image: Binder Aeration remains the single largest energy consumer in wastewater treatment, often accounting for 50–70% of total electricity use. As Australian utilities push toward ambitious net-zero and cost-reduction targets, the inadequacy […]
The skills to navigate the urgent utility expansion
The energy sector is getting on with the transition to renewables, but a skilled workforce is the key to the successful delivery of new critical
Beyond Borders: Why Africa's Water Security Crisis Demands Operational Excellence
At the Atlantic Dialogues in Rabat this week, African officials delivered stark assessments of how water scarcity is driving food insecurity, regional conflict, and migration across the continent. Ibr…
Water Main Breaks & National Trends: A Broader Context
By Greg Baird WaterOne’s journey toward resilient infrastructure through PVC adoption, discussed in Water Finance & Management’s Q4 cover story, is part of a larger national narrative. The 2025 ASCE Infrastructure Report Card assigns a C grade to the nation’s drinking water systems — unchangedRead M
From Surgery to Water Systems: How the Checklist Manifesto Transforms Utility Performance
When Dr. Atul Gawande introduced the surgical checklist to operating rooms worldwide, he demonstrated something profound: even the most skilled professionals benefit from systematic verification. His …
Water Quality in Ireland - Pressures, Trends and Targeting Measures - Catchments.ie
Overview of water quality in Ireland, key pressures, trends, and targeted measures
Scottish Water tops latest water and wastewater survey
Scottish Water has risen to the top of the 2025 annual water company survey carried out by British Water.
Ofwat launches consultation on changes to key environmental performance measures
Ofwat has launched a consultation on proposed amendments to three key environmental performance commitments for water companies.
Beyond Operational Data: Peter Drucker's Strategic Information Framework for Water Utility Leadership
How water utilities can transform from data-rich but insight-poor organizations into strategically intelligent enterprises The Information Paradox in Water Utilities Water utilities generate enormous …
Efficiency crucial for the water sector
It’s a difficult time for the water sector. On top of global issues – such as the impacts of climate change on the availability of clean water, increasing environmental protections, rising energy...
Qatar’s water strategy: Desalination, smart tech, and sustainable growth
Qatar has made remarkable progress in securing its water needs through innovation, advanced desalination technologies, and strategic planning
Water Mismanagement in Agriculture: a Case Study of Greece. Starting with “how” and "why"
In northwestern Greece lies a contradiction that defies logic: the Arta plain, blessed with the country's highest rainfall and surrounded by rivers, is experiencing severe water shortages that threaten its agricultural future. Despite receiving over 130 cubic hectometers of water annually through it
Review shows all active water infringement procedures
The new Environmental Implementation Review shows all the shortcomings in the implementation of environmental laws, including the EU water directives. The European Commission is now working on 313 infringement procedures against Member States. About 20% of these cases (64) are against Member States
Unveiling the Trends: Water Utility Performance in Focus (AWWA Benchmarking Survey 2019-2021)
Introduction Every thriving community relies on one fundamental promise: that clean water will flow from the tap and wastewater will safely retreat after use, sustaining both life and environment. Yet…
England's Water Crisis: Pollution Incidents Hit Record Highs in 2024
A summary of pollution incident performance for the 9 water and sewerage companies operating in England.
Saving water and emissions
Image: Rädlinger Water is a valuable resource, and this is especially true in times of increasing weather extremes, such as floods or periods of drought. Like many other countries, Australia frequently […]
Stability at scale
From grid modernization to a pumping station upgrade, utilities are increasingly under pressure to deliver projects on time and within budget, despite resource constraints and shifting regulatory landscapes. And as […]
The water paradox in China: The driest regions manage the resource most efficiently
China's regions with the least water availability have achieved higher levels of water management efficiency compared to areas where water is relatively abundant. This is documented in a study...
Building a Sustainable Future: A Revolutionary Framework for Certifying Wastewater Treatment Plants
Transforming wastewater treatment from waste management to resource recovery through comprehensive sustainability and circularity standards that could reshape the entire industry
How utilities are modernising connectivity
Image: VertelUtilities have relied on legacy systems for decades, but how can they bridge the gap between ageing infrastructure and next-generation connectivity? Australian essential service providers face a growing imperative to […]
Veolia and Alcom launch Ekydra, an AI-powered startup for water management innovation
Veolia and Alcom, a French environmental AI startup, have announced the creation of Ekydra, a strategic joint venture aimed at developing intelligent solutions for water utilities. The initiative...
Building the future of water from the ground up
Water management starts where few look: beneath our cities, in the pipelines that carry our wastewater, and in the treatment plants that return this transformed resource to nature. This edition of...
Shreveport water system's 'F' rating revised to a 'D' by Louisiana Department of Health
According to the Shreveport Department of Water and Sewerage, LDH has revised the city's water score from 55 to 65 — improving the grade from an "F" to a "D." The water department said this was after a miscalculation was identified. The primary factor for this low grade continues to be the need for
EU warns Greece over lack of water strategy
Greece faces a European Court of Justice ruling on Thursday over its failure to complete flood risk management plans required under EU water directives, highlighting the country’s struggles with water management.
Per capita water use in Mexico City is double that of China’s capital
Mexico City and Beijing face the same kind of water supply challenges. Yet the average Chilango uses twice as much water as a typical resident of the Chinese capital.
Novel Water Quality Index Reveals Guanzhong Basin Insights
In the vast and ecologically critical Guanzhong Basin of China, securing access to clean and safe groundwater has become a pressing priority, reflecting a growing global concern over water quality in both phreatic and confined aquifers. Groundwater serves as an indispensable resource for agriculture
How Sustainable Drainage Systems Improve Urban Water Management
As cities expand and natural landscapes are replaced by concrete, the need for effective urban water management becomes more pressing. Traditional drainage systems often fail under the pressure of increasing rainfall and runoff, leading to flooding, erosion, and pollution. Sustainable drainage syste
Researchers pioneer new water management model to help avert drought crises
In partnership with Chilean experts, scientists are working to to help policymakers integrate long-term environmental and social changes into water governance.
Ireland’s EPA finds 56% of domestic waste water treatment systems failed inspections in 2024
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the report on Domestic Waste Water Treatment System Inspections 2024, which details the findings of septic tank inspections completed by local...
Turning AI vision to reality for utilities
Image: lucegrafiar/stock.adobe.comUtility providers are looking to harness and scale artificial intelligence (AI) for measurable impact across the delivery of essential services. While the promise of AI is undeniable, integrating this technology […]
Streamlining water asset modernisation
Image: tuastockphoto/stock.adobe.comA 2024 Black & Veatch survey of water, wastewater, and stormwater professionals found that nearly 80 per cent of water utility stakeholders see ageing infrastructure as the most challenging issue facing the […]
High-resolution dataset tracks global cropland water-use efficiency
A research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has released a long-term, high-resolution dataset that tracks global cropland water-use efficiency (WUE) from 2001 to 2020.
UK water companies face significant operational and financial challenges, says Fitch Ratings in new report
Credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has published a new report in which it says that UK water companies face significant operational and financial challenges in the regulatory period AMP8 (April […]
Nigeria’s Water Crisis: Why Poor Management, Not Climate Change, Is Drying Up Farms
Nigeria’s weather conditions are unlikely to be unprecedented, but mismanagement of the land amid a booming population can quickly destabilize what resources the nation has. Climate change does not…
Water industry skills crisis intensifies as ‘perfect storm’ looms for AMP8, recruitment firm warns
The water industry is facing a perfect storm of intensifying talent shortages, engineer departures, and a looming retirement cliff as AMP8 commences,...
Flowing forward: Emerging opportunities in the global water sector
The global landscape of water innovation reveals an interesting geographic pattern, with respondents expecting new generation technologies to emerge primarily from the United States (85 percent) and Western Europe, including the UK (75 percent), Germany (66 percent) and France (50 percent). Despite
Practical Challenges Going From Waste To Resource
Putting aside the political and financial challenges, some of the practical changes needed in the existing facility such as improved headworks and grit-capture equipment becomes critical to these new resource recovery techniques. In addition, many of the processes downstream being protected by these
Swedish inspection reveals seven percent of digital water meters are failing
The Swedish inspection authority Swedac revealed recently that 5 out of 70 digital water meters on the market are failing. One of the digital water meters had such serious errors that almost no water consumption was shown at high flows. Some digital water meters showed either too high or too low con
One Water, Many Solutions
Scientists and stakeholders must engage in broad collaborations and deep research to help ensure safe water supplies.
How Pure Is Tap Water in Major Australian Cities?
Understanding the Importance of Tap Water Purity in Australia
Water Treatment – A Journey Toward Sustainability and Innovation
Water is essential for life, industry, and the environment, but ensuring access to clean, safe water has always been a complex challenge. The evolution of water treatment reflects centuries of scientific advancement, industrial growth, and environmental awareness. From basic filtration methods used
Highly critical NAO report warns regulators have failed to deliver trusted and resilient water sector
The National Audit Office (NAO) has today published a highly critical report saying that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and water regulators have failed to drive necessary investment for the sector, which now faces significant environmental, supply and infrastructure
‘Heavy metals’ contaminate 17% of the world’s croplands, say scientists
Heavy metals are a silent threat to our food – here’s what we can do about it.
Jigawa reaffirms commitment to sustaining Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status
“The open defecation-free (ODF) status we have attained was not an effortless feat. Attaining it is difficult, but sustaining it is even more challenging.”
American Rivers Announces America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025 in 40th Annual Listing
American Rivers is today, announcing America’s Most Endangered Rivers® in its 40th annual top ten listing. With half of rivers in the U.S. containing unsafe levels of pollution, freshwater species going extinct at a faster rate than ocean or land species, and extreme weather driving severe floods an
There’s something in the water
Steady access to safe, drinkable water is still a privilege, and Europe is struggling with ever-worsening droughts. The new episode of the Standard Time talk show discusses chemical hazards, eco guerrillas, and why we can never have enough pelicans.
Here’s what the new infrastructure report card says about water
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure last week, offering an assessment of U.S. infrastructure with an overall ‘C’ grade, finding that legislation passed by Congress since the 2021 Report Card sparked progress, despite more work and
Environment Agency storm overflow spill data for 2024
Spill count and duration remains unacceptably high across England. Data analysis and stricter rules to reduce pollution going forward.
UK storm overflow pollution "disgraceful" despite small drop in spills
New figures released today by the Environment Agency reveal that sewage pollution from storm overflows in England remains at “unacceptably high” levels,...
How DNA detection is revolutionising water quality monitoring
Scientists have used bacterial DNA to track sewage pollution in 18 global harbours, revealing contamination that current testing methods fail to detect.
The top 8 technological trends set to shape water management in 2025
According to a recent World Economic Forum publication, 2025 is set to be a year marked by two key milestones: on the one hand, an increase in water stress...
A Mission-Oriented Approach to Governing Our Global Water Challenges
Authored by Mariana Mazzucato and Luca Kühn von Burgsdorff
New: The Geography of Future Water Challenges
The ‘Geography of Future Water Challenges’, a new book on the many water challenges around the globe, to be launched at the UN Water Conference, is now available online.
Local wastewater treatment plants get 2023 report card
Records from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online database show the Priest River, Kootenai-Ponderay, and Sandpoint plants exceeded a pollutant limit on two, three, and five occasions, respectively. According to the Enforcement and Compliance History Online
Ofwat says Southern Water "lagging behind" other companies
While none of the UK's seventeen water companies were awarded the highest “leading” category, three of them, including Southern Water were considered by the regulator to be “lagging behind”. This comes as Ofwat announces that water companies will be forced to repay customers £158m through lower bill
Environmental performance rating sees Anglian Water given ‘two stars’ for third time
Anglian Water has admitted it “must do better” to meet environmental targets after being given a two-star rating by the Environment Agency for the third consecutive year. It makes Anglian Water the joint-lowest rated water company in the country in terms of environmental performance.
From Challenge to Opportunity: Revolutionizing the Monitoring of Emerging Contaminants in Water with Advanced Sensors
Traditional monitoring techniques, including spectroscopy, chromatography, and biochemical tests, effectively target inorganic pollutants and specific high-risk organic contaminants but struggle to detect ECs due to their elusive and cumulatively toxic nature, thereby posing significant risks to pub
Choosing The Right Industrial Wastewater Treatment Technology
This is not just about meeting regulatory standards, it’s about choosing the right treatment technology for the job. Be sure to have a partner like Anguil who can help you when you find process or regulatory changes potentially – or already – impacting your wastewater and discharge compliance.
Using data-driven transparency as a tool for building consensus on water
But life-sustaining water can be a tool for peace when communities and countries cooperate over this precious shared natural resource. Openness on monitoring and operational data – better known as transparency – and effective stakeholder engagement, is a way to help break down skepticism and mitigat
Water Finance: Public Responsibilities and Private Opportunities
The water sector is the subject of this book, which investigates the crucial junction between the responsibilities of the public sector and the potential for investment in the private sector. The purp…
Federal government establishes council to deliver Canada’s first National Infrastructure Assessment
Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, announced the new Canadian Infrastructure Council, an expert advisory body that will deliver the country’s first-ever National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA). The NIA will support Canada’s long-term infrastructure planning and
Optimizing performance in industrial wastewater treatment
This is an unacceptable, and unpredictable, settling rate for a water or wastewater- treatment system, so the particles need some help in settling or clumping. To speed along the settling or clumping process, the water treatment facility must turn to the introduction of a coagulant or flocculant tha
Louisiana Becomes First State to Issue Drinking Water Report Cards
In an effort to improve public communication, the Louisiana Department of Health published its inaugural water system report cards last week, becoming the first state in the country to use annual letter grades to highlight the failures and successes of drinking water utilities. Though many states co
Accounting for water: A global review and indicators of best practice for improved water governance
Effective water governance requires timely and reliable information, yet water data are often scattered or missing. Water accounting organizes existin…
New sector-specific management system standard for wastewater
Further, as noted in my PhD research, by 2022, there were eleven Ontario jurisdictions already adopting forms of environmental management systems (EMS) for their wastewater systems, primarily from ISO 14001, and nine municipalities in the rest of Canada (Table 1). Table 1 lists in chronological orde
Water Performance Assessment Basics: the Process of Information
The Process of Information There is enough pressure on Water Utilities (WU) towards a more lean and resilient operation. In order to accomplish that, decisions take place. However, any decision requir…
Water Performance Assessment Basics: Indicators Characteristic
Indicators are indications, signals, or markers that display how near a program is to its targeted route and results. They assess one component of a program and illustrate how close it is to achieving…