Future Municipal Water Systems: A Q&A About the Importance of Testing and Planning
As cities around the world face mounting challenges in securing reliable and safe water, one phrase has emerged repeatedly: "future-proofing," the process of adapting and updating systems and infrastructure to make them more resilient to climate change and other challenges.
Taking action to ensure the quality of future municipal water systems is vitally important, says Venkataraman "Venkat" Lakshmi, John L. Newcomb Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia. From aging infrastructure to climate-driven drought, risks are complex and intertwined.
We spoke with Lakshmi about what it means to future-proof water systems and the role testing and monitoring play in keeping the taps running.
Future-Proofing Water Systems Requires an Integrated Approach
IDEXX Currents: When you talk about future-proofing a water system, what risk keeps you up at night? Is it climate change, aging pipes, new contaminants, or something else?
Venkataraman Lakshmi: All of these risks are on my mind. Cities like Tehran and Kabul are already struggling with water shortages, and Cape Town came close to running dry just a few years ago. These examples show the urgency of guaranteeing the purity of future municipal water systems. Future-proofing starts with understanding both the threats and the assets related to water—where it comes from and where it will go. This isn't just a job for hydrologists. City and county planners must integrate water into their long-term strategies.
IC: We often hear about the shift from reactive fixes to proactive planning in the future-proofing space. How is testing and monitoring helping utilities stay ahead of problems instead of just responding to them?
VL: It comes down to prediction. A few years ago, Greater London's water utility, Thames Water, lost almost half of its supply to leaks. In Italy, aging pipes leak about 42% of its drinking water. These are economic decisions—not just engineering ones. Testing and monitoring give us the data to predict failures and plan for the energy costs of pumping water from deeper aquifers. But this isn't just a technical challenge. When the taps run dry or when water quality drops, it becomes a public issue—something that requires engineers, economists, and policymakers working together.
IC: Contaminants seem to make headlines almost every year. From your perspective, what kinds of testing or tools are most useful in spotting issues before they become bigger challenges?
VL: The EPA has a strong water quality testing structure, but one size doesn't fit all. In rural areas, septic tanks and private wells can be sources of contamination, which makes at-home testing kits especially valuable. In cities, planners and utilities are generally very smart about designing monitoring programs, but gaps remain. Regular testing at both the municipal and household levels remains critical. Otherwise, communities risk outbreaks of waterborne diseases that could have been prevented.
IC: Sometimes the most creative solutions come from outside the municipal world—say, agriculture, or other sectors where budgets are tight. Are there lessons there that cities should be paying attention to?
VL: Agriculture is where the biggest story lies, as 70% of global freshwater use goes to farming. Municipal water use is important, but it's only a fraction of the total. Hydroelectric power is another area cities can't ignore. Look at Lake Mead: Water levels have dropped so low that Hoover Dam is at risk of losing generating capacity. On the Mekong River, dam construction has altered fish populations, shipping routes, and even sediment delivery to rice fields in Vietnam. These are not just water supply questions—they're food security and energy questions, too.
IC: If you had to give one piece of advice to a city leader about investing in their water system for the next 20 or 30 years, what would it be? Where does testing fit in?
VL: My advice would be to treat water as part of a broader portfolio. Cities should assess their assets and demands—beyond water budgets to include infrastructure needs, growth projections, and replacement schedules for old pipes. California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is a good example of sticking with proven approaches rather than chasing "silver bullet" solutions. As for testing, it's non-negotiable. Every urban supply must be tested to ensure safety. Rural communities must do the same to avoid preventable disease.
IC: Anything else you'd like to add?
VL: You don't have to look far to see the urgency—newspaper headlines are full of water crises. The techniques and tools for managing water are already out there. What we need is a more comprehensive, integrated way to evaluate risks and plan for the future.
About the Expert
Venkataraman Lakshmi, Ph.D., is the John L. Newcomb Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia. His research spans catchment hydrology, land-atmosphere interactions, satellite data validation, and water resources. He has served as a visiting professor at Stanford University, a Program Director for Hydrologic Sciences at the National Science Foundation, and a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He is the current president of the hydrology section of the American Geophysical Union.
Planning for the Future Starts Today
There's no time like the present to begin future-proofing our existing water systems. Fortunately, the tools for managing water already exist and can be used to build agile, lasting water solutions today. Read more here about how labs can stress the need for rural water testing and five ways IDEXX is ensuring clean water worldwide.
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