Water Equation
The future of clean & safe water is in jeopardy without a strong workforce.
Donate Now
Investing in the Water Workforce
Water Equation (WE) Providing funding for the workforce advancements, scholarships, students, young professionals, and Community Engineering Corps. WE is committed to fulfilling the critical need to ensure that the water community has the necessary workforce to provide clean and safe water to communities in North America.
100% of your donation funds programs to promote employment for the next generation of water professionals.
AWWA is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization. Contributions made to Water Equation are tax deductible.
The Workforce by the Numbers
Operators, engineers, researchers, and environmentalists are your key to clean, sustainable water. STEM fields are growing but the water workforce is in decline.
20 %
of US high school students are prepared for college-level STEM coursework.
26 %
of the STEM workforce is occupied by women.
30 %
of the water workforce will retire in the next decade.
88 %
of employees in the water sector are age 45 or older.
6 %
decline is predicted in the water workforce by 2032.
WE is Advancing Every Stage of the Water Workforce Pipeline
Funding from WE supports K-12 STEM education programs, academic scholarships, operator continuing education, conference attendance, leadership development, volunteer opportunities, and more. Here is where our giving made a difference in the past year:
Science Technology Education and Math Scholarships
Scholarships
Continuing Education
CE Corps
TWLA
Support Water Equation
Building tomorrow’s water workforce together.
Creating Water Career Opportunities
Academic Scholarships
The AWWA Scholarship program offers graduate and undergraduate academic scholarships for students pursuing careers in the water community. The scholarship applications are available from September to December of each year and are awarded in late Spring of the following year. AWWA Sections also provide scholarships for students attending universities in their geographical region.
Scholarships
Operator Scholarship
The One AWWA Operator Scholarship program provides water/wastewater operators with funding for continuing education, certification, training, and conference attendance. Scholarships are available throughout the year, and are offered in partnership with local AWWA Sections.
Apply for Operator Scholarship
Leadership Development
Water Equation offers travel scholarships to utility employees and HBCU students to attend AWWA’s YP Leader Training Day and AWWA/WEF YP Summit, to young professionals to attend DC Fly-In, to emerging utility professionals accepted to the Transformative Water Leadership Academy, and to water operators to attend the AWWA Annual Conference and Expo.
Learn More
Community Engineering Corps
Engineering with empathy! Water professionals expand their horizons by volunteering for Community Engineering Corps projects. This nonprofit organization matches teams of skilled volunteers with underserved communities across the U.S. to provide technical support for better infrastructure. The program’s founding partners are AWWA, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Engineers Without Borders-USA.
Learn More
Get Involved
Give
There are several ways to give. . . Language TBD – Planned Giving. . . Scholarships . . .
Ways to Give
WE Walk 2025
Every year from April to May join us for WE Walk benefitting young professional programs.
Register Now
WE Race 5K at ACE25
Join us at ACE25 and sign up for the WE Race for Water 5K on June 8, supporting Community Engineering Corps.
Register Now
Water Equation Standing Committee
The Water Equation Standing Committee reports to the AWWA Executive Committee. Committee members are elected by a nominating committee and approved by the AWWA President for a three-year term. The committee meets virtually every month to discuss fundraising, communications, and outreach. Please contact Chair Katie Richardson at catharine.richardson@tylin.com if you are interested in volunteering.
Andy Cooper
Director
Chesapeake
Catharine Richardson
Chair
Wisconsin
Kristin Kihs
Vice-Chair
Pacific Northwest
Jessica Alves
New York
Jared Baker
Rocky Mountain
Michael T Brown
Pennsylvania
Nicole Brown
New Jersey
Elizabeth Carter
Rocky Mountain
Jennifer Elms
Texas
Stephanie Estabrook
California-Nevada
Ali Mahan
Virginia
Jared Ogle
Missouri
Jon Shellhorn
Kansas
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
John Smith
Operator
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Jane Doe
Engineering Student
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Jim Bob
Scholarship Recipient
