Archives: Episode

Why Are U.S. Water and Sewer Bills Rising Faster Than Inflation?

U.S. household water and sewer bills rose 5.1% in 2025—the steepest annual increase in five years and a 24.2% jump since 2020. Rates are rising faster than general inflation, with chemicals, energy, labor, and construction all contributing to sustained upward pressure. Bluefield analyst Megan Bondar joins Reese Tisdale to unpack new data covering 50 major… Continue reading Why Are U.S. Water and Sewer Bills Rising Faster Than Inflation?

Water for Agriculture: An US$84 Billion Irrigation Opportunity

At more than 70% of U.S. water withdrawals, agriculture is one of the most significant drivers of water demand in the country. In this episode, host Reese Tisdale sits down with Bluefield Analyst Olivia Kranefuss to unpack her newly released report, Water for U.S. Agriculture: Irrigation Trends, Technology Adoption, and Market Forecasts, 2026–2031, and the… Continue reading Water for Agriculture: An US$84 Billion Irrigation Opportunity

The US$10 Billion Market Nobody Talks About: Chemicals for Water Treatment

Chemicals used to treat water is a US$10 billion market hiding in plain sight—fragmented, consolidating, and far more strategically interesting than the name suggests. Bluefield’s latest water treatment chemicals analysis mapped nearly 500 companies across the space. In this episode, Bluefield analyst Caroline Vauclain joins host Reese Tisdale to unpack what she found—including why the… Continue reading The US$10 Billion Market Nobody Talks About: Chemicals for Water Treatment

Deep Sea Desalination with Flocean’s Alex Fuglesang

Alex Fuglesang, Founder and CEO of Flocean, provides Flocean’s origin story and a look at Flocean’s amazing technology. Plus, Reese Tisdale joins us for another Bluefield on Tap segment discussing Bluefield Research’s brand new report on the agriculture water sector. In this session, you’ll learn about: Resources and links mentioned in or relevant to this session… Continue reading Deep Sea Desalination with Flocean’s Alex Fuglesang

Debunking the Myths of the Data Center Water Footprint

Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven data center growth is reshaping not only electricity markets, but water demand across the value chain. In this episode, podcast host Reese Tisdale sits down with Research Director Amber Walsh to discuss the broader water footprint of data centers—both onsite and offsite—and why the conversation is shifting beyond cooling towers to the… Continue reading Debunking the Myths of the Data Center Water Footprint

When States Lose Veto Power: The New Water Policy Landscape

Significant policy shifts are reshaping water infrastructure investment across North America. Greg Goodwin, Bluefield Research Senior Research Director, joins host Reese Tisdale to discuss his latest semi-annual policy review covering regulatory changes, budget developments, and emerging frameworks in the U.S. and Canada. The conversation examines a two-speed regulatory environment where traditional pollutant standards face relief… Continue reading When States Lose Veto Power: The New Water Policy Landscape

The World Cup and Water’s Cyber-Preparedness Opportunity with 1898 & Co.’s Victor Atkins

Victor Atkins, 1898 & Co.’s Director of Critical Infrastructure Security Consulting Services, presents a compelling case for utility cyber-preparedness ahead of the World Cup being held soon in North America, largely in the United States. Victor provides concrete examples of threat actors, instances of prior attacks, actionable cyber-preparedness steps for critical infrastructure providers, and much… Continue reading The World Cup and Water’s Cyber-Preparedness Opportunity with 1898 & Co.’s Victor Atkins

Water Runs on Power: The Energy Lever Utilities Can’t Ignore

Energy represents one of the largest and most manageable cost centers for water and wastewater utilities—accounting for 10%–40% of operating budgets. Unlike other operational expenditures like labor, utilities can modify the amount of energy used and how much it costs by choosing the right combination of technologies. As electricity demand in the global water sector… Continue reading Water Runs on Power: The Energy Lever Utilities Can’t Ignore

Year-End Water Check: AI’s Thirst, Aging Infrastructure, and 2026 Contrarian Bets

As 2025 wraps up, we’re closing out the year with five big questions shaping the water sector—and a few bold predictions for what’s ahead. In this episode, host Reese Tisdale is joined by Bluefield VP & Managing Director Keith Hays to tackle the trends and challenges defining water investment right now. 1. Data centers are… Continue reading Year-End Water Check: AI’s Thirst, Aging Infrastructure, and 2026 Contrarian Bets