Adaptivity

On matters of sustainability, the complement to resilient recovery is adaptive adjustment. Many water industry's efforts focus on a system's ability maintain services and recover from disruptions, but just as important are understand when how change things situations fall unexpectedly outside norm. All considered, industry has proved extremely challenges latest pandemic, it also shown remarkable adaptivity. Even while COVID-19 shut down some sectors, safe continued reach homes businesses that rely it. As pandemic disrupted normal operations, was great see quickly systems adapted, both accommodating work at home instituting procedures protect those who cannot. In many cases, financial accommodations have been made with customers struggling job loss or diminished business try help them, least in near term. continues, other still face industry—floods, droughts, aging infrastructure, communication—so it's for professionals skills include flexibility resourcefulness, foundations We must ensure wastewater respond effectively potential even more, people operating guiding system limits, their personal where begin exploring options need change. Most time, changes slow, order years decades. like phaseout lead pipe, can seem take lifetime. Adaptability comes bear management side things, especially communicating serious issues, because pipes ground typically stay same, mindset consumers always flux—except, is, concern safe, affordable, continuous supply. At local level, utilities not only community's specific needs concerns, large-scale phenomena international events. Beyond adaptivity driven by an underlying goal improvement, kind crews fixing broken mains freezing cold, conservation department managing smart meter roll-out program, treatment plants minimizing disinfection byproducts considering potable reuse—the list goes on. Besides reinforcing resilience, continue adapt ever-changing world thinking creatively novel approaches will improve future resilience. This issue Journal AWWA features articles diversity inclusion, trends, rebates, more. Please consider sharing your perspectives experiences, including related adaptivity, across globe writing me [email protected].