From Cloud to Tap: How Can Digital Solutions Improve Our Water Future?

/ June 24, 2025 /

Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and digital twins are quickly being adopted in industries across all sectors and geographies— and the water sector is no different. Water and wastewater services, whether in large cities or small rural communities, are relying on digital solutions now more than ever.

The organizations and people managing our water systems are using digital solutions so:

  • Water that comes out of our taps is safe and reliable.
  • Wastewater is cleaned to the highest quality before being discharged into the environment.
  • Emerging issues like droughts, flooding, infrastructure stressors, and new pollutants are managed in the most efficient and effective ways possible.

Technology is moving faster than ever, but digital solutions can’t be flipped on like ChatGPT or Google Gemini in water and wastewater systems. Despite the opportunities, there are many challenges to adopting them. Some questions water professionals are asking:

  • AI is seemingly everywhere but are water workforces ready to deploy it?
  • Do smaller water utilities have enough data from their systems to effectively use AI?
  • How can large and small utilities work together to adopt lasting digital solutions?
  • Will federal and state policies align on digital solutions in their regulations?
  • Where can funding be found to adopt the best technologies for our systems?

While some water utilities are in the early stages of answering these, others have made progress in their digital solutioning. More and more water providers are using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), so meters that measure water use can communicate directly with utilities, offering a host of benefits for customers and service providers. Hot Springs, Arkansas used this and other digital solutions to reduce water loss in their systems by 50 percent. Meanwhile in the wastewater field, digital solutions are increasing the speed at which Las Vegas is able to test wastewater for disease outbreaks. What would in the past take days, has been sped up to real-time surveillance that helps public health officials act faster when pathogens are detected in wastewater.

These are just a small sample of the exciting advancements happening in the water industry. Here are a few primer articles to get you thinking more about digital solutions for a better water future: