Waterloop

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Jessica Kramer spoke to the Vessel Collective today in Washington, D.C. about how the agency’s work aligns with the effort to close the water and sanitation access gap in the country.

In addition to expressing her personal commitment to the issue, she highlighted key areas including:

• Improving technical assistance so funding and support truly reaches the communities it was intended to help
• Growing the workforce by replicating successful local and regional programs
• Encouraging reciprocity between states for water operators, which can help with staffing at utilities
• Increasing collaboration among federal agencies on drinking water and sanitation.

The discussion underscored why government commitment is one of the three pillars of the new national roadmap for water access.

One of the keys to accelerating progress on water access and sanitation in the U.S. may be simple: share solutions openly and tackle common challenges together.

That’s exactly what’s happening this week at .wash convening in Washington, D.C., where representatives from more than 130 organizations are exchanging ideas, lessons learned, and real-world strategies for closing the water access gap.

Recurring areas of discussion I’m hearing include:

• Using better data to identify and understand the true scope of the crisis
• Finding sustainable funding and financing pathways
• Building and maintaining water and sanitation infrastructure
• Supporting struggling and under-resourced water systems
• Growing the workforce needed to deliver long-term solutions
• Keeping humanity, dignity, and trust at the center of the work
• Working more effectively with local, state, tribal, and federal government
• Sharing proven solutions so communities don’t have to reinvent the wheel

The challenges are significant and often interconnected. But so is the collaboration emerging around them.

A national plan is now on the table to bring running water and sanitation to every home in the United States.
wash’s new roadmap sets a clear goal: universal access by 2040.

It starts with the more than 2 million Americans who still lack basic service—and focuses on what it will actually take to change that.

Three priorities:
→ Make the issue visible
→ Align government commitment
→ Build the capacity to deliver and sustain solutions

And importantly, it tracks progress—measuring whether fewer people are living without water each year.

A clear plan. A measurable goal. Now it comes down to ex*****on.

More than 130 organizations working on water access and sanitation are gathering in Washington, D.C.

Because millions of people in this country still don’t have reliable water.

The .wash is bringing together leaders from across the U.S. WASH sector to do something that hasn’t happened at this scale: align the work.

The focus is clear—break down silos, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate solutions for communities that have been waiting far too long.

This isn’t just another convening.

It’s an effort to move faster—and actually close the gap.

Welcome to Data Center Alley.

This area in Northern Virginia is home to the world’s greatest concentration of data centers.

I’m here filming an episode for waterloop with Loudoun Water about managing the impacts.

Spoiler alert… there are a lot of misconceptions about water use by data centers, particularly the information a utility has available. And even in this epicenter of facilities, Loudoun Water is in a sustainable position.

Stay tuned!

A $6 million international investment is turning a Great Lakes utility into a proving ground for next-generation water treatment.

Bryan Stubbs of the explains how the new technology is now producing high-concentration hypochlorite on site—replacing the need to ship chlorine long distances by rail.

The system, developed by a company spun out of LG Chem in South Korea, is being piloted with Avon Lake Regional Water, which serves communities along Lake Erie.

The approach taps local salt resources from beneath the lake to generate disinfectant directly at the treatment plant—cutting costs, strengthening supply chain resilience, and reducing transportation risks tied to chlorine delivery.

It’s also drawing attention for its potential to scale manufacturing in the United States, turning a regional pilot into a national opportunity.

From a conversation at the in Washington, D.C.

$20 million for PFAS. $20 million for lead. And up to $50 million already needed for aging pipes.

That’s the reality facing many U.S. water systems today.

Chad Seidel of the Water & Health Advisory Council describes a growing financial squeeze: new regulatory requirements are stacking on top of long-standing infrastructure needs—forcing cities to prioritize compliance over the condition of the system itself.

The risk is clear. Pipes that carry water from source to tap may fail—not because solutions don’t exist, but because funding is being pulled toward the latest contaminants.

It’s a shift in focus with real consequences.

Seidel points to the need for a broader approach—one that weighs risks across the entire system and prioritizes investments that keep water flowing safely and reliably.

Because if the system breaks down, water quality becomes secondary.

Episode at link in bio, on waterloop.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

The most powerful thing water leaders can bring to work might be the one thing they’ve been taught to leave behind.

At Catalyst 2025, Britton Smith — artist, facilitator, and frontman of Britton and the Sting — led a session that challenged professionals to confront the “mask” they wear at work. Not the technical expertise or the polished persona, but the parts of themselves they hide to fit expectations.

In a rare, unguarded 90 minutes, participants explored whether those masks actually help them succeed — or quietly limit their impact. The result was something the water sector doesn’t always make space for: vulnerability, honesty, and real human connection.

The insight is striking. When people feel safe enough to bring their full selves — the leader, the protector, the person behind the title — collaboration deepens, trust builds faster, and the work becomes more meaningful.

In a field driven by systems and solutions, this was a reminder that the most important variable is still human.

Reservations are open for Catalyst 2026. Reserve your spot before the limited seats fill up! Visit catalysth2o.org

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Solutions to some of the world’s biggest water challenges are taking shape through collaboration at the local level.

At a World Water Day gathering at the in Washington, D.C., leaders from across industry, advocacy, and government highlighted how convening the right people—across sectors and perspectives—is accelerating progress on water quality, scarcity, affordability, and resilience.

Josh Mahan, : “World Water Day reminds us that global challenges are ultimately solved locally through collaboration, convening, and ultimately action.”

Matthew Pine, Xylem: “We opened Reservoir in 2022… as a neutral place to convene the water sector… to talk about the critical issues around water… These topics are becoming relevant more and more every day.”

Maria Lehman, : “Water is critical to people and places for everyday life… whether it’s drinking water, wastewater, stormwater… these systems meet an essential need… and are central to their well-being and quality of life.”

Ross van Dongen, United for Infrastructure: "We all understand how challenging it is to do transformative things in our country right now, but infrastructure and water has always been a place where bipartisanship gets checked at the door."

U.S. Senator John Boozman, Arkansas: “We just simply have to make people understand how important water is. When you ask any futurist, they’ll say, looking forward, the top two things always listed… are energy and water.”

The takeaway: when the water sector comes together with purpose, solutions move forward—and communities are stronger for it.

The very report designed to build trust in tap water may be doing the opposite.

Kathryn Sorensen of the Water Health Advisory Council points to a growing body of research showing that EPA-mandated Consumer Confidence Reports—sent annually to millions of Americans—can actually lower confidence in drinking water safety.

The issue isn’t intent. It’s design.

These reports are rigidly structured, filled with technical language and long lists of chemicals. For most people, seeing those names—regardless of actual risk—triggers concern, not reassurance.

It’s a striking disconnect: a system built to inform the public may instead be fueling doubt.

The implication is bigger than communication. Public trust is directly tied to support for water systems, funding, and long-term investment.

Fixing that trust gap may start with rethinking how information is delivered—making it clearer, more intuitive, and grounded in how people actually perceive risk.

Episode at link in bio, on waterloop.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Billions of dollars are spent chasing microscopic contaminants… while the biggest threats to public health may be far more basic.

Janet Anderson of the Water & Health Advisory Council lays out a critical shift in how drinking water risk is understood: not all risks are equal—and treating them that way can lead to the wrong investments.

Microbial outbreaks? High certainty. Immediate public health consequences.

Trace chemicals at ultra-low levels? Often uncertain risk—and extremely costly to address.

Yet policy often treats these risks in isolation, without asking a more important question: what actually protects people the most?

Anderson points to a different approach—prioritizing the worst risks first. That means keeping water systems functioning, maintaining infrastructure, and ensuring a skilled workforce to deliver safe, reliable water every day.

Episode at link in bio, on waterloop.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts.