This article provides an overview of our nation's drinking water infrastructure and discusses a range of critical and emerging concerns for the water sector. After an overview of the major and minor systems responsible for drinking water service, critical emerging concerns based on the authors' experience are then discussed relative to their hydraulic, water quality, and physical integrity linkages and implications. In addition to their direct impact on public health, these aspects also have significant socioeconomic implications. We then go on to consider other drinking water industry perspectives such as bottled water, rainwater harvesting, the water–energy nexus, decentralized water systems, and future directions for water systems management. It is the authors' hope that readers will develop a better understanding of the various issues and challenges that lie ahead for the drinking water sector, while also benefiting from our recommendations regarding future industry directions.