Tetra Tech’s Jarrett Kinslow, water treatment national practice leader, discusses how utilities can strengthen drinking water supplies through advanced treatment technologies, diversified water sources, and strategic planning.
How have drinking water challenges evolved over time, and how are they influencing utility priorities and decision-making?
Across the United States, utilities are facing increasing pressure to provide reliable drinking water supplies as population growth, industrial development, and climate variability continue to strain traditional water sources. In many regions, securing new water supplies has become just as important as expanding treatment capacity, prompting utilities to rethink how they plan for long-term water reliability and resilience.
As freshwater resources become increasingly constrained, many utilities are evaluating alternative water supplies that can help meet growing demand while providing greater protection against drought and other supply disruptions. Brackish groundwater has emerged as a practical and sustainable option, particularly when paired with advanced treatment technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO). At the same time, continued improvements in treatment efficiency are making these alternative water supplies more economically viable, allowing utilities to diversify their water portfolios while planning for future growth.
What emerging treatment technologies are gaining national momentum for regulatory and operational resilience?
As drinking water regulations continue to evolve, advanced treatment technologies have become increasingly important for helping utilities achieve higher levels of treatment while maintaining operational efficiency. Many of today’s innovations build upon proven technologies rather than replacing them, making advanced treatment more reliable, resilient, and cost-effective.
We’re seeing significant advancements in membrane materials, adsorption media, and chemical treatment processes. Examples include chlorine-tolerant and fouling-resistant RO membranes, novel sorbents for PFAS and other trace organic and inorganic contaminants, and improved scale inhibitors that enable treatment of challenging high-silica water sources while reducing biological fouling. These next-generation products enhance well-established technologies such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange (IX), granular activated carbon (GAC), and advanced oxidation processes (AOP), allowing utilities to meet evolving regulatory requirements while improving long-term operational performance.
What future regulatory or water quality trends should utilities prepare for now?
Utilities are operating in an environment where regulatory requirements and source water conditions are changing more rapidly than ever before. Rather than designing facilities to meet today’s requirements alone, utilities are increasingly planning for flexibility—developing treatment systems that can adapt as regulations evolve, water quality changes, and new technologies become available.
Several key trends should be on every utility’s radar:
- Emerging regulations. Continued PFAS regulations, implementation of the revised Lead and Copper Rule, and ongoing research into contaminants such as microplastics will require utilities to remain adaptable.
- Flexible treatment technologies. Treatment trains that incorporate RO, GAC, IX, and AOP provide the flexibility to respond to future water quality and regulatory changes.
- Water supply resilience. Climate-driven source water variability and growing interest in potable reuse are prompting utilities to diversify their water portfolios and evaluate alternative water supplies.
- Smarter and more efficient utility operations. Digital operations, real-time monitoring, cybersecurity modernization, and improved distribution system management are becoming essential for maintaining reliable and resilient water systems.
The utilities that begin planning for these trends today will be better positioned to meet tomorrow’s regulatory requirements while continuing to provide safe, reliable drinking water.
How does Tetra Tech help utilities navigate complex drinking water challenges and implement sustainable treatment solutions?
Complex water challenges don’t necessarily require complex solutions. At Tetra Tech, we believe the best solutions are often the simplest—approaches that improve reliability, reduce long-term operations and maintenance costs, and create more sustainable systems over the life of the facility.
Using our Leading with Science® approach, we begin by listening to our clients, understanding the challenges they face today, and anticipating the challenges they’ll face tomorrow. Our multidisciplinary teams collaborate to develop practical, science-based solutions that balance regulatory compliance, operational resilience, and long-term sustainability. From planning and regulatory strategy through design, construction, and startup, we help utilities diversify water supplies, implement advanced treatment technologies, modernize operations, and prepare for future regulations.
That approach has helped utilities across the country develop resilient alternative water supplies. For example, Tetra Tech supported the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) in Texas in developing a new brackish groundwater treatment facility to provide a drought-resilient water source for one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. Similarly, we partnered with Toho Water Authority and the Central Florida Water Cooperative to develop an alternative water supply by treating water from a deeper, underutilized aquifer, expanding available water resources to support Central Florida’s continued growth. We also leverage digital tools such as multidisciplinary 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) to improve design coordination, identify conflicts early, and enhance project delivery from planning through construction.
By combining engineers, scientists, and technology specialists under one roof, Tetra Tech helps utilities implement practical solutions that strengthen water security today while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.
About the expert
Jarrett Kinslow
Jarrett Kinslow is a water treatment national practice leader at Tetra Tech.
He has more than 26 years of experience in water treatment, specializing in membrane and advanced treatment technologies for desalination and emerging contaminants, potable water facility design, and utility infrastructure.
Jarrett helps utilities develop sustainable, resilient drinking water solutions by leading projects from planning and pilot testing through design, permitting, construction, and startup. He has contributed to dozens of membrane and conventional treatment projects ranging from 0.5 to 150 million gallons per day (MGD) of treatment capacity and representing more than $1 billion in capital investment.
An active leader in the water industry, Jarrett has authored numerous technical papers on membranes and advanced water treatment and has served as a director and past president for the Southeast Desalting Association (SEDA). Jarrett earned a BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Central Florida, and he is registered as a Professional Engineer in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Virginia.