AI As The Water Operator's Copilot

Water utilities are rich in data but often struggle to turn decades of information into decisions that improve daily operations. In this episode, Travis Wagner of Trinnex explains how utilities can connect fragmented information, preserve workforce knowledge, and introduce artificial intelligence without sacrificing accuracy or security. Most utilities already collect extensive records through plant-control systems known as SCADA, geographic information systems, maintenance programs, and financial software. The first step is not necessarily collecting more data, but identifying the utility’s goals and making the existing information accessible across systems. That work is becoming more urgent as experienced operators retire and take decades of practical knowledge with them. Operations manuals, standard procedures, and historical records can help preserve some of that expertise when they are digitized and made easier for employees to search. Trinnex developed Raini as a utility-specific AI assistant that can answer questions about tasks such as maintaining a pump or backwashing a filter, while linking employees directly to the source document behind each response. The system is designed to acknowledge when it cannot find an answer, while human experts test its responses and utilities update outdated procedures that the technology brings to light. Wagner says the next generation of utility software could allow operators to request information, compare data, and generate dashboards through conversational tools, but progress should begin with clear governance, secure testing environments, and careful validation. Learn more about Trinnex. waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet.