By Kris Polly

In our cover story this month, we interview Harvey De La Torre, the general manager of the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), a water wholesaler that supplies 27 member agencies while also leading water supply planning activities across its service area. MWDOC must simultaneously turn its attention to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the regional importer and wholesaler on whose board it has several members, and to its member agencies, with which it communicates and collaborates closely. In our conversation with Mr. De La Torre, we talk about reliability, regulation, conservation, and more.

Next, we turn to Orchard Dale Water District, a small urban potable water district in Los Angeles County. About 8 years ago, he tells us, General Manager Ed Castaneda had an unpleasant shock: A diver who inspected reservoirs for the district drew his attention to the fact that a concrete water storage tank was at risk of collapse, endangering the surrounding community. Mr. Castaneda walks us through the process by which the district planned for, funded, and executed the replacement.

After that, we speak with Michael Donovan, the global R&D director for minerals and chemical company CETCO, about FLUORO‑SORB, a specialized media derived from bentonite clay that is designed to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from water. He walks us through several recent pilot projects and explains why more and more utilities are choosing FLURO‑SORB.

Eon Flow Water Solutions has a simple yet powerful descaling solution: Using an electrical signal applied to a water pipe by a wire wrapped around its exterior, it forces minerals in the water to precipitate, preventing the formation of scale. What’s more, CEO Harry Lipschitz explains, the company has discovered that its solution creates multitudes of nanobubbles and microbubbles with powerful antifouling effects. Learn more about this promising technology in our interview.

Pipeline monitoring and maintenance is a major concern for water utilities—and with most pipelines buried underground, it is not an easy task. Dave Brown, the director of maintenance at Southern California’s Eastern Municipal Water District, tells us how an AI solution provided by VODA.ai is helping the district prioritize pipeline replacement projects.

BMP Compliance Group provides powerful management platforms that help streamline some of wastewater utilities’ toughest management tasks, including fats, oils, and grease management; backflow programs, and industrial pretreatment. Tony Cole, the company’s director of business development, tells us about its solutions and the results they deliver for clients.

Last, we hear from WSP professionals Jennifer Brunton and Alex Shannon about the increasingly widespread issue of water scarcity, the toolbox of measures that municipal water utilities can bring to bear on the problem, and the primary considerations that should shape their response.

FLUORO‑SORB, Eon Flow, VODA.ai, and BMP Compliance Group’s solutions show the promise of high-tech materials, engineering, and information technology for water managers. As utilities face supply challenges, regulation, and the constant need for maintenance and rehabilitation, specialized technologies such as these will be ever more critical.

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He can be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.