The Systems Lens

Writing

Essays on reading infrastructure like a living system, grouped by theme. Long-form, every claim sourced.

Resiliency

Climate, risk, redundancy, and how systems fail and recover.

Essay Fifty Steps Back, Five Hundred Steps Forward Everyone agrees AI should augment water utilities, not replace them. The harder truth: the most resilient move right now is to refuse to rush it. On requirements vs pressures, stress vs shock, and why AI comes only when the data is ready. 2026-06-13

Data

Governance, quality, telemetry, and the record you can trust.

Essay Your Utility Has Been Doing Data Governance Wrong Most utilities still run governance out of a spreadsheet and a person named Sarah. With AI now a regulatory expectation, that gap is about to get expensive. 2026-06-13

Operations

The operator's day: maintenance, reliability, and PDCA in practice.

Essay Your Capital Plan Needs a Glucose Monitor Static KPIs are a 1985 physical. Cybernetic KPIs are a continuous monitor. The Curve Test, and how to read your utility's vital signs like a doctor. 2026-06-07