ARTICLES BY KEVIN WESTERLING

• Water Infrastructure Has A New Bottleneck — And It's Not Money

  5/1/2026

  Billions have been approved, but millions remain idle. The EPA's new report on earmarks sheds light on the logjam.
• What Is The Future Of Source Water Protection?

  4/28/2026

  Water utility managers and municipal leaders have long struggled amid the convergence of several threats to public water supplies. During a recent Water Online Live event, I sat with a panel of industry experts to examine the transition from reactive crisis management to a proactive, adaptive resilience framework.
• Q&A: Inside A Municipal Water Deal That Didn't Happen — And Why That Matters

  4/22/2026

  After initially voting for it, the Rahway (NJ) Municipal Council reversed course and canceled its bid process for the potential sale of the city’s water utility. As more municipalities explore alternative ownership, financing, or partnership models to address aging water infrastructure, Rahway’s experience offers a useful case study in how quickly these processes can shift — and why — explored in this Q&A with Obermayer’s Tom Wyatt.
• Americans Rank Water Reliability Alongside Cost Of Living As A Top National Priority

  4/15/2026

  Reliable access to water now ranks alongside inflation and the cost of living as one of the most important national issues for U.S. voters, according to the 2026 Value of Water Index, the latest national survey conducted by the Value of Water Campaign.
• When Drinking Water Raises Bigger Questions About Brain Health And Environmental Risk

  3/13/2026

  A new study linking certain groundwater sources to higher Parkinson’s risk underscores a broader question for the water sector: how environmental exposures in drinking water may influence long-term health.

• EPA Seeks Court‑Ordered Removal Of 4 PFAS Limits

  2/23/2026

  The U.S. EPA is testing a new procedural strategy to remove four PFAS drinking‑water limits from ongoing litigation, asking the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to invalidate those limits on the grounds that the EPA itself committed a procedural misstep when issuing the 2024 PFAS rule.
• Putting The National Toxicology Program's Fluoride Review In Context

  2/13/2026

  Despite renewed public concern over fluoride and cognition, the National Toxicology Program’s findings focus on high‑fluoride groundwater conditions — not the controlled levels used in U.S. drinking water systems. Understanding that distinction is critical for utilities navigating policy questions and community expectations.
• Down And Dirty With Digital: How AI Enhances Water Infrastructure Fieldwork

  1/14/2026

  Fieldwork is at the heart of infrastructure expansion and rehabilitation, as utilities, engineers, and contractors collaborate to build the systems and structures that treat and move water. The opportunity is great, but so are the challenges. Which is why new, digitally-enhanced tools are needed.

• 2026 Water Utility Outlook: Regulation, AI, And Resilience In The Face Of Scarcity

  11/12/2025

  Global Water Outcomes expert notes that “water utilities are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities,” citing the role of digital solutions moving forward.
• HAAs In The EU: Monitoring For Haloacetic Acids Under The Drinking Water Directive

  11/7/2025

  In this Q&A, Dr. Elke Süss of Metrohm addresses the urgent need for haloacetic acid testing in response to “one of the most significant updates to EU drinking water monitoring in recent years.”
• When Chemistry Meets Water Innovation

  10/30/2025

  Nobel-winning molecular materials are poised to reinvent purification, desalination, and reuse.

• Securing Smart Water

  9/5/2025

  The digital transformation of utilities is necessary and inevitable but also innately vulnerable to bad actors. It's time to discuss prioritizing cybersecurity.

• A New Power Paradigm For Wastewater Utilities?

  7/3/2025

  Renewable energy is great for the environment. Are power purchase agreements great for wastewater treatment operations?

• Homing In On Leaks: Rethinking AMI's Role In Water Conservation

  5/7/2025

  New research indicates that the targeted deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in leak-prone households, leveraging near real-time water use monitoring, could maximize their value.