The latest episode of the Water Online Show's In The Flow series features hosts Travis Kennedy and Chief Editor Kevin Westerling outlining the top 10 trends shaping the water sector in 2026, based on insights from their audience, industry experts, and past guests. They explore major themes including PFAS regulations, infrastructure funding, digitalization and the adoption of AI, and much more. Throughout the discussion, they highlight related Water Online resources and preview upcoming episodes that will dive deeper into these issues.

The Water Online Show kicks off its new season with an in‑depth discussion on stormwater management, focusing on New York City’s innovative partnership with Arcadis. Guest Shandor Szalay, the National Stormwater Resilience Practice Lead at Arcadis, explains how climate‑driven superstorms and aging urban infrastructure have pushed the city to rethink stormwater strategies. The program, called Resilient NYC Partners, represents a multibillion‑dollar effort to manage stormwater more effectively — especially on older private properties that lack any stormwater controls. Arcadis is responsible for acquiring sites, designing systems, hiring contractors, constructing the projects, and ultimately delivering certified stormwater storage capacity back to NYC’s DEP.

In this episode of The Water Online Show, host Travis Kennedy explores the technology reshaping chemical dosing: Blue-White’s Enhanced MD1 metering pump. President Rob Gledhill breaks down how the pump’s dual-diaphragm design delivers near-continuous feed, eliminates vapor lock risks, and boosts accuracy without stroke adjustments.

In this episode of the Water Online Show, hosts Travis Kennedy and Kevin Westerling explore AI's transformative role in water utility operations with guest Dave Brown, Director of Maintenance at Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), which serves nearly a million customers across 682 square miles in Southern California. Brown details EMWD's successful use of AI for non-invasive pipeline condition assessment, leveraging historical leak data since 2005, GIS mapping, and sensor inputs to predict failures with 73% accuracy in pilot tests, enabling proactive leak detection, optimized capital planning, reduced water loss, and cost savings for ratepayers. The discussion highlights AI's accessibility for utilities with robust data, minimal learning curve for motivated staff, job-enhancing rather than replacing potential in maintenance, and future applications in energy efficiency, chemical dosing, asset management, and customer transparency, while emphasizing methodical pilots, governance policies, and cross-departmental collaboration as essential first steps for adoption.

In this episode of The Water Online Show, host Travis Kennedy delves into one of the most transformative shifts in the water sector: the digital evolution of metering and data-driven utility management. Joined by Badger Meter’s Matt Stephenson and Erica Hermann, the discussion explores how utilities are turning advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) into a foundation for smarter, more connected operations. From tackling data overload and workforce challenges to leveraging artificial intelligence with caution and purpose, this conversation offers a front-row view into how innovation is redefining water management. Discover how utilities can turn data into stories, efficiency, and long-term sustainability—all while preparing for the next era of intelligent infrastructure.

In this episode of The Water Online Show, Travis Kennedy sits down with Ben Goecke from Calgon Carbon to talk about optimizing the design choices for your treatment system. The design of media vessels is a crucial, yet often overlooked, factor that significantly impacts the cost, downtime, and safety of granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange treatment operations. When media reaches the end of its life, efficient removal and replacement are paramount, and the vessel's architecture—from manway placement to underdrain engineering—dictates the ease of this process.

The water industry touches virtually everything — from access and equity to innovation and infrastructure—yet the women driving its progress are often unseen. In a field traditionally dominated by men, women are now leading the charge, building resilient infrastructure, restoring watersheds, leading utilities, and conducting cutting-edge research. This episode features three of the industry's "badass women of water," who share their unique career journeys, the importance of female representation, and their vision for the future of water.

In this episode of In The Flow, hosts Travis Kennedy and Kevin Westerling delve into one of the most pressing issues facing water managers throughout the world: the shrinking supply of freshwater. While 71% of Earth is covered in water, only 3% is freshwater — and less than half of that is accessible to humans. New research, powered by NASA’s GRACE satellite mission, shows that dry regions are expanding at alarming rates, contributing not only to water scarcity for 75% of the world’s population but also to sea level rise. It’s a sobering picture, but one that sets the stage for an important discussion.

On this episode of The Water Online Show, Travis Kennedy spotlights LeakZon’s breakthrough hybrid solution that bridges the gap between traditional AMR and full AMI systems. CMO Tomer Eisner explains how the technology seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure, enabling utilities to capture AMI-like insights without costly overhauls.

This episode of The Water Online Show features Jesse M. Keenan, a leading scholar on climate change and Associate Professor at Tulane University, and Edgar Westerhof, a climate adaptation expert from Arcadis, who discuss the financial implications and adaptation strategies for water infrastructure.