U.S. household water and sewer bills rose 5.1% in 2025—the steepest annual increase in five years and a 24.2% jump since 2020. Rates are rising faster than general inflation, with chemicals, energy, labor, and construction all contributing to sustained upward pressure.

Bluefield analyst Megan Bondar joins Reese Tisdale to unpack new data covering 50 major U.S. cities. The conversation examines why water and wastewater rates are moving at different speeds, how regional factors shape what households pay, and what structural forces are locking in higher costs for the long term.

Key questions addressed:

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At more than 70% of U.S. water withdrawals, agriculture is one of the most significant drivers of water demand in the country. In this episode, host Reese Tisdale sits down with Bluefield Analyst Olivia Kranefuss to unpack her newly released report, Water for U.S. Agriculture: Irrigation Trends, Technology Adoption, and Market Forecasts, 2026–2031, and the US$84 billion transition reshaping how the market spends over the next several years.

The conversation covers where capital is flowing across a cost structure dominated by energy and labor, the key shifts underway in technology adoption and company strategy, and what the M&A moves of major players signal about where the market is heading. Key questions addressed include:

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Chemicals used to treat water is a US$10 billion market hiding in plain sight—fragmented, consolidating, and far more strategically interesting than the name suggests. Bluefield's latest water treatment chemicals analysis mapped nearly 500 companies across the space. In this episode, Bluefield analyst Caroline Vauclain joins host Reese Tisdale to unpack what she found—including why the top 10 players control just 30% of facilities and 80% of companies run only one to two locations.

The conversation covers five key questions shaping this market:

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Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven data center growth is reshaping not only electricity markets, but water demand across the value chain. In this episode, podcast host Reese Tisdale sits down with Research Director Amber Walsh to discuss the broader water footprint of data centers—both onsite and offsite—and why the conversation is shifting beyond cooling towers to the power generation fleet.

While new AI cooling systems are becoming more efficient and, in some cases, shrinking onsite water intensity, the surge in electricity demand is driving a much larger indirect water footprint. From delayed coal retirements to new natural gas capacity and nuclear recommissioning, the power sector’s role in supporting data center growth is raising important questions about long-term water exposure.

Key questions addressed:

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Significant policy shifts are reshaping water infrastructure investment across North America. Greg Goodwin, Bluefield Research Senior Research Director, joins host Reese Tisdale to discuss his latest semi-annual policy review covering regulatory changes, budget developments, and emerging frameworks in the U.S. and Canada. The conversation examines a two-speed regulatory environment where traditional pollutant standards face relief while PFAS enforcement intensifies.

The episode explores critical deadline pressures around the Colorado River, where Seven Basin States missed their November target and face a February 14th federal intervention threshold. Greg also contrasts U.S. and Canada infrastructure approaches, highlighting Canada's CAD$54 billion supply-driven investment strategy that builds water capacity ahead of demand tied to housing targets. Key topics include:

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Energy represents one of the largest and most manageable cost centers for water and wastewater utilities—accounting for 10%–40% of operating budgets. Unlike other operational expenditures like labor, utilities can modify the amount of energy used and how much it costs by choosing the right combination of technologies. As electricity demand in the global water sector is projected to reach 4%–8% of total global consumption by 2040, utilities face mounting pressure to reduce costs, manage volatility, and meet carbon reduction targets.

In this episode, Bluefield senior analyst Maria Cardenal joins host Reese Tisdale to discuss findings from a new global report on energy optimization across water and wastewater operations. The conversation covers:

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As 2025 wraps up, we're closing out the year with five big questions shaping the water sector—and a few bold predictions for what's ahead. In this episode, host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield VP & Managing Director Keith Hays to tackle the trends and challenges defining water investment right now.

1. Data centers are growing 12.2% annually and driving the U.S. industrial water market. Is AI's thirst the crisis or the opportunity the water sector has been waiting for?

2. Housing construction in the U.S. dropped 15% since 2022, breaking the historic model of 'new homes = new pipes.' If growth isn't driving investment anymore, what is?

3. Europe's betting big on semiconductors, hydrogen, and EV batteries with its Water Resilience Strategy. Are they building infrastructure for industries that might not materialize—or positioning for the next industrial revolution while the U.S. fumbles?

4. Midstream water in oil and gas has gone from cyclical commodity play to structural necessity. Did the water sector accidentally become geopolitically important, or have they just not realized it yet?

5. Water bills have increased 24% in five years, and some cities are hitting EPA affordability thresholds. What breaks first—the infrastructure or the public's willingness to pay?

Keith and Reese also place their contrarian bets for 2026 and tackle a speed round on what will define the next decade, where smart investment is headed, and who holds more power in 2035: those who own the infrastructure, or those who own the customer.

If you enjoy listening to The Future of Water Podcast, please tell a friend or colleague, and if you haven’t already, please click to follow this podcast wherever you listen.

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Fair Market Value (FMV) has become a critical—yet often misunderstood—tool for addressing fragmentation across the U.S. water sector. Designed to give municipalities a clearer path and a cleaner valuation when selling assets, FMV is now shaping deal flow, policy debates, and competitive strategies nationwide.

In this episode of The Future of Water, podcast host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield colleague Megan Bondar, who has just wrapped up analysis on FMV and its growing role as a legislated mechanism to streamline water and wastewater utility acquisitions. Bluefield's water experts get into why FMV is back in the spotlight, how it differs from traditional acquisitions, and what more than a decade of deal activity reveals about the road ahead.

Key discussion points:

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Biosolids are an unavoidable byproduct of wastewater treatment, and U.S. utilities are facing increasing challenges managing them amid tightening landfill capacity, rising hauling costs, and growing concerns about contaminants like PFAS. With 6.3 million dry metric tons produced every year, biosolids are becoming one of the fastest-growing operating expenses for wastewater utilities.

In this episode of The Future of Water, host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield’s Pat Byrne to break down the current state of biosolids management in the U.S.—from landfilling and incineration to beneficial use pathways—and to highlight the regional disparities, regulatory pressures, and emerging technologies reshaping utility strategies.

If you enjoy listening to The Future of Water Podcast, please tell a friend or colleague, and if you haven’t already, please click to follow this podcast wherever you listen.

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In this episode, host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield analyst Megan Bondar to unpack the pressures and opportunities shaping water reuse—a cornerstone of resilient water supply planning that’s gaining momentum across the U.S. Bluefield's latest analysis projects US$47.1 billion in CAPEX for municipal reuse infrastructure through 2035, highlighting a shift in how utilities and cities are thinking about long-term water resilience.

From California's drought-driven projects to saltwater intrusion along the East Coast, water reuse is expanding. In this conversation, Reese and Megan explore what’s driving this growth—and what it means for utilities, communities, and the industries that depend on them.

In this episode:

If you enjoy listening to The Future of Water Podcast, please tell a friend or colleague, and if you haven’t already, please click to follow this podcast wherever you listen.

If you’d like to be informed of water market news, trends, perspectives and analysis from Bluefield Research, subscribe to Waterline, our weekly newsletter published each Wednesday.

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