Volume 101, Issue 10     October 2009    ISSN 1551-8833

Since 2004 the State of the Industry (SOTI) survey has taken a snapshot of the water industry and its workforce at a particular moment in time. Every year, the SOTI report captures how the industry and its people are reacting to political, economical, and social changes taking place.

In this sixth installment of AWWA’s annual study of issues confronting the water industry, survey participants zeroed in on the turbulent economy and its ramifications. Business factors shot to the top of the list as a critical concern in 2009, followed by source water, infrastructure, and regulatory matters as well as other perennial issues, including workforce, macro factors, water treatment, and security.

Given the economic climate, it should come as no surprise that optimism about the soundness of the industry continued to erode. Yet even amidst the economic downturn and disappearing credit markets, SOTI participants came up with ideas and insights for building a more sustainable future for the water industry.—MPM