This White Paper was created in collaboration with Xylem.
The water sector stands at a critical inflection point, shaped by converging forces that strain the status quo. Decades-old infrastructure, an aging and retiring workforce, tightening regulatory standards, and intensifying climate impacts are collectively accelerating the urgency for smarter, more adaptive strategies.
Against this backdrop, generative artificial intelligence has emerged—not just as a tool for digitization but also as a catalyst for reimagining how utilities manage their workforce, assets, and information. Generative artificial intelligence technologies analyze vast datasets to autonomously produce contextually relevant content, opening new frontiers in machine-assisted problem-solving. Unlike traditional automation or analytics, generative artificial intelligence can tailor decision-ready outputs— such as summaries, recommendations, and simulations—to meet operational, regulatory, and environmental constraints.
This white paper aims to highlight the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence across the water sector, showcasing real-world applications that are already enhancing key performance metrics for utilities. By aligning these innovations with the well-established Effective Utility Management framework, utility leaders and teams can better understand the road map toward greater adoption, balancing technological ambitions with operational realities.
