AWWA Begins Water 2050 Initiative to Prepare for a Sustainable Water Future

AWWA Begins Water 2050 Initiative To Prepare For Sustainable Water Future

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has announced its landmark Water 2050 initiative, a collaborative exploration to envision the future of water and chart a course for water community success and sustainability.

“Water 2050 will prepare us for the future of water—how it’s managed, protected, collected, treated, distributed, used, and returned to the environment,” said Chi Ho Sham, AWWA past president. “With outsidethe-box thinking, a longer-term view, and cross-discipline corroboration, we will make the water community a better steward of the world’s most vital resource in a proactive and resilient way.”

The multi-year initiative is anchored in five intimate think tanks, where both young and more-experienced thought leaders examine the future of water through the prisms of sustainability, technology, economics, governance, and social/ demographic. Recommendations flowing from each facilitated think tank will serve as calls to action for AWWA, its sections, and the wider water community. In addition, AWWA members will engage in Water 2050 discussions and provide input at AWWA events over the next two years.

Official Launch: June 13, 2022

Water 2050 was launched at AWWA’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE22), which was held June 12-16 in San Antonio, with a keynote panel discussion on the initiative and a Water 2050 exhibit in the AWWA Pavilion. A video, “The Future We Create,” featuring thoughts from AWWA young professionals on the future of the industry, is in development and will be shown at water-related events throughout the initiative.

“With so many challenges and opportunities on the horizon, this is certainly the right moment to take a longer strategic view of the future and engage with bold, innovative thinkers,” said Joe Jacangelo, AWWA president. “We cannot know exactly how the world will look in 2050, but if we think critically and collaboratively with others, we can develop a more perspicuous understanding of how to prepare for it.”

A select advisory team is developing the Water 2050 event design and providing leadership and guidance. The team includes: S Andy Richardson, chair emeritus at

Greeley and Hansen S Sue McCormick, AWWA past president and former Great Lakes Water Authority chief executive officer S Jennifer Sara, global director for the

World Bank Group’s Water Global

Practice.

The first Water 2050 think tank is to be held Sept. 21-23, 2022, at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, where 20 to 25 thought leaders will explore issues related to the sustainability driver. The gathering will be facilitated by Strategies with Rox.

Program Impetus and Goals

The AWWA board of directors and six advisory councils planted the first seeds for Water 2050 during a council summit discussion in Denver in October 2021. During that gathering, the board and council members identified several critical drivers that would influence the future of water and the work of water professionals.

“Water 2050 will significantly influence how AWWA builds member value and engages the water community in the years ahead,” said David LaFrance, AWWA chief executive officer. “It will also be a foundation for collaboration with new and existing partners who will help us understand the challenges we face.

“Collaboration is the key,” LaFrance added. “Water 2050 will only be successful if there is engagement from many partners and forward-looking experts from within and outside the water profession.”

Next Steps

Starting in 2022 and working through the end of 2023, those involved with Water 2050 will:

Engage in Meaningful Conversations

Thought leaders from within and outside the water sector will gather at the think tanks to examine the future of water through the prism of five key drivers.

Enlist Strategic Partners

Collaboration among water utilities, service providers, academia, water-sector organizations, and nontraditional partners will be essential. They will reach beyond the water sector to engage corporate water users, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholder groups for fresh insights.

Foster Intergenerational Responsibility

The water leaders of today and tomorrow must work together to create a successful future. The voices of young and emerging professionals will be key throughout the initiative.

Capture Collective Knowledge

AWWA will report on insights from each think tank and publish additional guidance to support the water community in realizing the Water 2050 vision.

All of this supports the critical mission of the water community: safe water, healthy people, and a sustainable planet. This will be done by examining the five critical drivers of the future of water.

The Future of Water: Five Forces

Five critical drivers have been identified that will influence progress toward a sustainable and resilient water future. These drivers will be considered by the Water 2050 think tanks and shape all future work supported by this initiative.

Sustainability

Managing the planet’s limited water resources and built infrastructure for water is paramount. Climate change is among the biggest risks. It will bring conditions that are more forceful and less predictable: extended droughts and heatwaves, increased hurricanes and wildfires, and severe winter storms. The future will require skillful and creative stewardship of our most vital natural resource, as well as innovative approaches to keep water infrastructure strong and resilient.

Technology

As the world enters the fourth industrial revolution, water professionals have access to new technologies that are changing the way they interact with water resources, water systems, and the people they serve. Advances in data, analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and artificial intelligence will increasingly empower consumers and influence water system operations. Adoption of new technologies will solve complex problems and sometimes introduce unintended challenges.

Economics

Water is a critical economic engine for North American communities and across the globe. Increasingly, the water community is asked to do more with less, while also addressing rising infrastructure needs. Economic factors, such as regionalization; supply chain resilience; decentralized treatment; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, should be considered when assessing risks and value and the benefits of a circular economy. Rate setting will occur in a world more keenly aware of equity and affordability challenges.

Governance

The roles of federal, provincial, state, and local governments significantly impact how water utilities are operated and regulated. Both economics and governance will shape the model of tomorrow’s water utilities. Some communities may turn to regional solutions to gain efficiencies. As regulatory structures evolve, communities will have to evaluate new approaches, such as fit-for-purpose standards and decentralized treatment.

Social/Demographic

Public interest and concern about water quality and equity is rising, which means that all communities must work to strengthen public trust. Simultaneously, potential population shifts between urban and rural areas are creating resource and infrastructure challenges, while also forcing communitydriven water solutions. Population growth in water-stressed communities will require innovative thinking to manage limited supplies.

Charting the Future

The launch of the Water 2050 initiative is a bold and exciting step for the U.S. water sector and should act as a springboard for the adoption of smart technology and other innovations for the industry. The multiyear exploration will chart a course for sustainability and success.

“When I’m asked why AWWA is undertaking the immense initiative of Water 2050, the answer is clear,” said LaFrance. “Most people think that water is simple, and we know that it’s not. Water 2050 will bring together wide-ranging voices to address these complexities for a better water future. We want to drive water’s future—not wait for the future to come to us.”

More information about the initiative is available at www.awwa.org on the Water 2050 resource page. S