Water 2050: Where Will Tech Take Us?

Abstract

When I started as a water professional (and honestly it was not that long ago), I did not have a computer on my desk, and I relied on my phone (rotary dial, landline), fax, and FedEx to communicate with others who were farther away than across the hall. Look at where we are today—texting, emailing, and “Zooming” with our colleagues who are in the next office or working around the globe. Who could have imagined that our cell phones would be our computers and that we'd be connected to each other—and our work—all the time, from anywhere? Now's the time to go one step further: imagine 2050 and ask yourself, when will water utility services be fully automated? Makes you think, doesn't it? Put simply, as the water community seeks to be innovative, we will increasingly turn to technology as an enabler of innovation. This is why AWWA's Water 2050 program involves understanding meaningful technological advancement and its risks rather than just hoping positive technology happens. The words of water's emerging professionals provide insights on the direction technology will take as we move forward. Top 5 Technologies Being Planned or Assessed by Utilities. Data source: AWWA 2022 State of the Water Industry report; n = 1,826 In talking about the impact of technology, Ji Im recognizes that “it should really transform how our sector looks and feels”; she then provides the next generation with this inspiration: “I hope students will be excited to join our sector, because they're going to research the next big water treatment technology and bring reliable drinking water to everyone in the world.” It's not just emerging water professionals who grasp the future of technology. As one of AWWA's members (in the 56–65 age group) summarized in a recent Water 2050 member survey, “I believe that the water industry will change dramatically. There will be more automation and less workforce, more instrumentation and automated testing, point-of-use devices at homes to treat water to potable levels, and regionalized water treatment systems.” At the same time, technology brings with it new risks. AWWA members participating in AWWA's 2022 State of the Water Industry survey ranked cybersecurity as the 10th highest issue facing the water sector. Now your initial instinct may be, “It's only 10th—how important can that be?” If so, consider the fact that this is the first time cybersecurity is a top 10 issue; it was not that long ago that it was ranked in the mid-twenties of concerns. I cannot say with certainty whether the steady climb up the ladder of water sector issues of concern is related to the increased use of technology, increased awareness of risks, more cyber incidents, or all of these. One thing seems clear, though: the water community cannot just focus on advancing technology without also addressing its risks. This dual requirement makes a focus on technology a fascinating, essential, and complicated part of Water 2050. The top five technologies that utilities are focusing on now show the variety of technology uses already identified by water utilities. In each case, at least one in four utilities is already focused on at least one of these five technologies (see figure). Future innovation is dependent on technology and understanding the risks it introduces. This reminds me of a college paper I wrote (albeit using a typewriter—go ahead and google typewriter if you don't know what one is). In it I cynically suggested that as we become more dependent on computers, we will believe that 2 + 2 = 5 if the computer (mistakenly) tells us it is. Wait a minute—let me check—“Hey, Alexa, what is 2 + 2?” Oh, good—it is still 4. Yes, technology is a key driver of water's future. The first step for us, of course, is to start figuring the future it will lead to, because waiting for the future to come to us, well, that is not a strategy.