In this episode of Talking Underwater, co-hosts Mandy Crispin and Bob Crossen explore the forces shaping the water and wastewater sector as the industry looks ahead to 2026.

The conversation opens with insights into new research on the growing water demands of data centers in Texas. Drawing from a recent white paper by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Crispin outlines how existing and planned data center development could significantly strain drinking water supplies if water planning and policy fail to keep pace with rapid growth.

Crossen then shares insights from a January poll on wastewater capital spending priorities. Results show utilities are primarily focused on treatment process upgrades and collection system improvements, while resilience and emergency preparedness rank surprisingly low.

The episode wraps with a broader look at 2026 industry forecasts from the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). Key themes include workforce development, the rise of the circular water economy, policy efforts around PFAS and the “polluter pays” principle, funding through state revolving funds, and affordability programs such as LIHWAP. Together, these perspectives suggest a shift from big‑picture concepts toward practical action as utilities confront emerging challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.

• Thirsty Data and the Lone Star State: The Impact of Data Center Growth on Texas’ Water Supply
• What is perchlorate in drinking water?
• Poll results: 2026 wastewater capital spending priorities
• Looking forward: WEF’s strategics priorities and collective action for the wastewater sector
• NACWA’s clean water initiatives focus on liability, affordability and infrastructure
• AWWA outlines federal priorities for water and wastewater utilities in the 119th Congress
• Poll: What is your biggest workforce challenge in 2026?
• WWD Emerging Leaders submissions
• WW Emerging Leaders submissions
• StormCon 2026 registration

• 00:28 – Introduction
• 01:05 – Overview of HARC white paper on Texas data centers and water use
• 01:42 – Projections for data center water demand by 2030
• 04:13 – Policy recommendations
• 06:23 – January capital spending poll overview
• 07:55 – 2026 WEF priorities
• 09:15 – 2026 NACWA policy and legislative focus
• 09:34 – State Revolving Fund reauthorization
• 10:08 – Low‑Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
• 11:15 – Housekeeping announcements and closing reminders

About the Podcast

Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Wastewater Digest (WWD), WaterWorld (WW) and Stormwater Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and interviews with experts across the municipal water industry. New episodes of the podcast are released every other week. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.