Smart Water Magazine  ·  Print Edition  ·  No. 31 September 2026
The digitalisation issue

Beneath the surface of the utility of the future

Why does so much digitalisation still never make it past the pilot? This issue follows the question from the meter to the geopolitics of water, with WSSC Water’s Kishia L. Powell on the cover.

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132 pages11 interviews8 features7 opinionsFree to read
Cover of Smart Water Magazine Print Edition 31

On the cover: Kishia L. Powell, General Manager and CEO of WSSC Water.

Kishia L. Powell with WSSC Water crews
Kishia L. Powell with WSSC Water crews.
Cover story · page 22

People before the platform

“Digital transformation is about much more than technology. It’s about people, processes and preparedness.”

Kishia L. PowellGeneral Manager and CEO, WSSC Water

After leading utilities in Atlanta, Baltimore and Jackson, Powell argues that every digital investment has to serve both customers and the people delivering the service: an AMI pilot, AI with guardrails, a cloud-first strategy, and the line every supplier should read twice — a vendor sells a product, a partner helps solve a problem.

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Issue 31

Contents

Every page number opens the edition on that page

Openingpp. 3–21

  1. 3From the editorDavid Escobar · Smart Water Magazine
  2. 18The pilot is not the problemDavid Escobar · Special analysis

01The digital utilitypp. 22–47

  1. 22People before the platformKishia L. Powell · WSSC Water
  2. 28How the right network connectivity unlocks Smart Water at scaleNetmorePartner
  3. 32Moving past the pilot stageAmit Vaidya · Xylem VuePartner
  4. 38Navigating the water industry’s generational shiftLori Sutton · American Water
  5. 40Neither the manufacturer nor the operator succeeds aloneAlfonso Corbalán · HidrocontaPartner
  6. 44Beyond smart meters: how GAIA built a resilient networkDiehl MeteringPartner

02Cybersecuritypp. 48–61

  1. 48Cybersecurity from meter to software: what utilities should ask vendorsErica Hermann & Matt Stephenson · Badger MeterPartner
  2. 52Connecting physical and digital infrastructureRSEPartner
  3. 56AI in the water sector: extending judgment, not replacing itAshwin Dhanasekar · Brown and Caldwell
  4. 58Connecting and protecting the water sector’s digital futureXavier Cardeña & Thomas Vasen · HMS NetworksPartner

03Data and AIpp. 62–79

  1. 62From more data to better decisionsKISTERSPartner
  2. 66Setting AI ground rules earlyLouise Blais · Ofwat
  3. 70Smart use of data in water utilities: where is the human in the loop?Janelcy Alferes · VITO
  4. 71How water utilities can turn data into better decisionsWill Williams & Ben Cownie · Black & Veatch
  5. 72Turning corporate water commitments into local benefitsAganovaPartner
  6. 76Seeing drought months aheadJohn Hammond · USGS

04Resiliencepp. 80–101

  1. 80Seven minutes, five hours, one yearAlejandro Maceira · Special analysis
  2. 82Below the surface: flood modelling for the Barcelona MetroAutodesk · UPC-Flumen · Veolia
  3. 84From fragmented data to operational intelligenceAdasaPartner
  4. 88The case for ceramic: why the economics of ultrafiltration have shiftedCerafiltec
  5. 90Technology alone cannot deliver water securityShannon McCarthy · IDRAPartner
  6. 96How level monitoring reset a sewer maintenance scheduleKalliprPartner
  7. 101Capacity, not cash: new research on the UK water delivery gapRSE

05Global water securitypp. 102–128

  1. 102Low-carbon AI, high water costProf. Kaveh Madani · UNU-INWEH
  2. 108The data centre water story has moved upstreamAmber Walsh · Bluefield Research
  3. 110Growth should pay for growthMargaret Cook · HARC
  4. 114Industrial growth should not come at the expense of waterLeslie Morris-Iveson · Chatham House
  5. 116The partnerships powering Saudi Arabia’s water sectorSHARAKATPartner
  6. 120Turning scarcity into strategyH.E. Abdulla Balalaa · United Arab Emirates
  7. 126In an age of geopolitical rupture, water resilience needs data over slogansJoe Ray · CDP
From the editor
“None of this needs a breakthrough. It needs decisions: budgets that outlast a pilot, roles designed around data, partners who stay. The technology has kept its promise. Now it’s our turn.”
David EscobarDavid EscobarPartner, Smart Water Magazine
Read the full letter
In conversation

The interviews

Ten more conversations, from the meter to the UN
Shannon McCarthyShannon McCarthySecretary General, IDRAPartnerTechnology alone cannot deliver water securityp. 90Louise BlaisLouise BlaisDirector of Data, OfwatSetting AI ground rules earlyp. 66H.E. Abdulla BalalaaH.E. Abdulla BalalaaAssistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, United Arab EmiratesTurning scarcity into strategyp. 120Amit VaidyaAmit VaidyaDirector, Growth Markets, Xylem VuePartnerMoving past the pilot stagep. 32Alfonso CorbalánAlfonso CorbalánCEO, HidrocontaPartnerNeither the manufacturer nor the operator succeeds alonep. 40Erica Hermann & Matt StephensonErica Hermann & Matt StephensonBadger MeterPartnerCybersecurity from meter to softwarep. 48Xavier Cardeña & Thomas VasenXavier Cardeña & Thomas VasenHMS NetworksPartnerConnecting and protecting the water sector’s digital futurep. 58John HammondJohn HammondResearch Hydrologist, USGSSeeing drought months aheadp. 76Prof. Kaveh MadaniProf. Kaveh MadaniDirector, UNU-INWEHLow-carbon AI, high water costp. 102Margaret CookMargaret CookVP Water and Community Resilience, HARCGrowth should pay for growthp. 110
With our partners

Features

Eight features in this edition
NetmoreNetmorePartner featureHow the right network connectivity unlocks Smart Water at scalep. 28Diehl MeteringDiehl MeteringPartner featureBeyond smart meters: how GAIA built a resilient networkp. 44RSERSEPartner featureConnecting physical and digital infrastructurep. 52KISTERSKISTERSPartner featureFrom more data to better decisionsp. 62AganovaAganovaPartner featureTurning corporate water commitments into local benefitsp. 72AdasaAdasaPartner featureFrom fragmented data to operational intelligencep. 84KalliprKalliprPartner featureHow level monitoring reset a sewer maintenance schedulep. 96SHARAKATSHARAKATPartner featureThe partnerships powering Saudi Arabia’s water sectorp. 116
Viewpoints

Opinion

Seven voices on data, AI and growth
Lori SuttonLori SuttonAmerican WaterNavigating the water industry’s generational shiftp. 38Ashwin DhanasekarAshwin DhanasekarBrown and CaldwellAI in the water sector: extending judgment, not replacing itp. 56Janelcy AlferesJanelcy AlferesVITOSmart use of data in water utilities: where is the human in the loop?p. 70Will Williams & Ben CownieWill Williams & Ben CownieBlack & VeatchHow water utilities can turn data into better decisionsp. 71Amber WalshAmber WalshBluefield ResearchThe data centre water story has moved upstreamp. 108Leslie Morris-IvesonLeslie Morris-IvesonChatham HouseIndustrial growth should not come at the expense of waterp. 114Joe RayJoe RayCDPIn an age of geopolitical rupture, water resilience needs data over slogansp. 126
From the series

Webinar reports

Three sessions, reported in full
Autodesk · UPC-Flumen · VeoliaPartnerBelow the surface: flood modelling for the Barcelona Metrop. 82CerafiltecPartnerThe case for ceramic: why the economics of ultrafiltration have shiftedp. 88RSEPartnerCapacity, not cash: new research on the UK water delivery gapp. 101
Print Edition No. 31

The technology has kept its promise. Now it’s our turn.

132 pages, free to read. Every edition of Smart Water Magazine reaches water professionals in more than 100 countries.

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The archive

Previous editions

All editions
Print Edition No. 30No. 30 · June 2026The end of wastePrint Edition No. 29No. 29 · March 2026Delivering water under pressurePrint Edition No. 28No. 28 · November 2025Future-ready utilities