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.

In this episode Talking Under Water co-host Bob Crossen speaks with Gabriel Collins, the Baker Botts Fellow in Energy and Environmental Regulatory Affairs at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, about the evolving pressures on industrial water use and the widening implications of the AI boom. Drawing from his cross-sector expertise, Collins unpacks why water is an inherently hyper‑local resource and how industries — ranging from semiconductor fabrication to refineries and petrochemical plants — are adapting to shrinking supplies and rising costs.

The conversation explores how data centers are straining municipal systems and, in some cases, driving new water‑reuse investments. Collins shares real‑world examples illustrating how creative contracting and industrial partnerships can help utilities upgrade critical infrastructure. He also highlights the increasing viability of air‑cooling technology as an alternative in water‑scarce regions.

Shifting to oil and gas, Collins explains how produced water, seismicity concerns, and disposal challenges are prompting operators to rethink water management strategies. Throughout the discussion, he stresses the importance of “fit‑for‑purpose” water use and the opportunities for circular water practices that avoid mixing contaminated and freshwater streams.

The episode closes with a look at the logistical and economic barriers that still limit a truly integrated one‑water approach.

• Gabriel Collins, Baker Institute for Public Policy
• Gabriel Collins on LinkedIn
• The Sinews of Civilization Substack
• WWD Emerging Leaders submissions
• WW Emerging Leaders submissions
• StormCon 2026 registration

• 00:00 – Introduction
• 01:39 – Industrial Water Use in 2026
• 03:04 – Blind Spots vs. Barriers
• 05:07 – Water Reuse, Recycling, and Sector Differences
• 06:34 – Fit‑for‑Purpose Water & Evolving Standards
• 09:02 – Costs, Margins, and Sensitivity to Water Price
• 11:03 – Data Centers & Municipal Pressure
• 14:25 – Policy Levers & Infrastructure Investment
• 17:34 – Oil & Gas: Produced Water, Disposal, and Seismicity
• 20:19 – One Water & Virtual Water Displacement
• 22:08 – Barriers to Circular Water
• 26:35 – Housekeeping

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.

In this episode of Talking Under Water, Mandy Crispin and Bob Crossen discuss the EPA’s proposal to establish a national primary drinking water regulation for perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The hosts break down the proposed rule, monitoring requirements, cost implications, and what utilities should prepare for, plus give updates on PFAS treatment research and recent wastewater spills.

• EPA proposes national drinking water rule for perchlorate
• Federal Register: Proposed national primary drinking water regulation for perchlorate
• What do the new PFAS MCLs mean for the water industry?
• Steps water systems can take to address perchlorate in drinking water (2020 EPA guidance document)
• New copper-aluminum layered double hydroxide technology offers sustainable PFAS remediation
• Georgetown isolates 42-inch wastewater line failure after San Gabriel River spill
• Houston reports wastewater spill exceeding 100,000 gallons following collection system failure

• 00:00 – Cold open
• 00:54 – Introduction to episode and overview
• 01:32 – EPA proposal for perchlorate regulation explained
• 03:49 – Comparing perchlorate MCLs to PFAS standards
• 05:00 – Binning approach for monitoring frequency
• 07:21 – Waiver process for reduced monitoring
• 09:41 – Initial monitoring requirements and costs
• 10:02 – Public comment deadline and hearing details
• 11:04 – PFAS treatment research update
• 12:23 – Wastewater spill reports
• 15:29 – Housekeeping

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.