CECorps transitions from shared initiative to EWB-USA

As one of three founders of Community Engineering Corps (CECorps), the American Water Works Association (AWWA) has helped under-resourced communities achieve safe and sustainable water service for more than a decade.

As CECorps has grown, so too have the complexities of managing the shared initiative among three organizations — AWWA, Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The founding organizations agreed in October to turn over CECorps to EWB-USA.

“Over the last 10 years, more than 250 AWWA members mobilized to address critical infrastructure needs in underserved communities,” said David LaFrance, CEO of AWWA. “Because of them — their time, passion and expertise — 92 more communities are on a pathway to safe and sustainable access to water. It’s difficult to capture just how transformative this is for families; it’s the very essence of why we do what we do, and we extend our deepest gratitude for their contributions.”

From the Navajo Nation and the colonia communities in the Desert Southwest to the valleys of Appalachia and resource-constrained communities throughout rural America, AWWA sections, members and staff built effective partnerships that supported low-income communities with building technical, financial, and managerial capacity and pursuing critical infrastructure improvements.

While AWWA’s participation in CECorps is concluding, its longstanding commitment to helping underserved communities is not. Those aspirations are reflected in AWWA’s 2030 Strategic Plan core principles — protecting public health, advancing equity, and strengthening public trust — and inspired by the Water 2050 vision of affordable, accessible water for all.

“CECorps has made tremendous progress supporting reliable and affordable water service in underserved communities,” said Molly Sullivan, program manager for community engineering at AWWA. “While our involvement in CECorps is concluding, AWWA’s commitment to helping communities in need remains strong.”

More than 2 million Americans don’t have running water or a working toilet at home, and more than 40 million Americans live without access to safely managed drinking water sources. Ensuring access to safe water is a key tenet of AWWA’s Water 2050 initiative.

“AWWA remains committed to supporting resource-constrained communities experiencing water insecurity,” Sullivan said. “We are exploring how to continue to deliver AWWA resources to communities in need and how to engage AWWA members with closing the water access gap.”