Water Equation
The future of clean and safe water depends on a strong workforce and collaborative partnerships.
Water Equation raises essential funding to support the next generation of water professionals.
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Investing in the Water Workforce
Water Equation (WE) is an initiative of AWWA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our efforts provide funding for workforce advancement, scholarships, students, young professionals, and the 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 worldwide. This includes educating, encouraging, and engaging the next generation of water professionals with scholarships and continuing education support, leadership development, and professional engagement opportunities through AWWA events and seminars.
Water Equation also supports the Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA), where the next generation of water utility leaders focuses on the foundations of sustainable community leadership. TWLA cultivates water leadership by expanding the pool of qualified staff, fostering community-first utilities, and clarifying a vision for the future.
In addition to TWLA, Water Equation raises funds for the Community Engineering Corps (CE Corps) by building partnerships between communities and engineers to deliver pro bono consulting services to underserved and overburdened communities across the U.S., its Territories, and Tribal Entities. We are ensuring that a lack of engineering support does not prevent communities from overcoming infrastructure inequities.
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 U.S. 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.
1.34 %
of recent STEM graduates hold a water focused degree.
510,000
new water professionals are needed to replace retiring workers by 2032.
WE is Advancing Every Stage of the Water Workforce Pipeline
WE supports academic scholarships, operator continuing education, conference attendance, leadership development, volunteer opportunities, STEM education programs, and more. Here is where our giving made a difference in the past year:
Science, Technology, Education, and Math Scholarships
Continuing Education
Donate Today
When you donate to Water Equation, 100% of your contribution funds programs dedicated to the water workforce and closing the improved infrastructure access gap.
Donate
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
Water Operator Continuing Education
The One AWWA Water 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 Water 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.
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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
100% of your donation funds programs to promote employment for the next generation of water professionals. AWWA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions made to Water Equation are tax deductible. Invest in the future of your family and community today.
Ways To Give
WE Walk
Join us for WE Walk benefitting young professional programs, held every year from April to May. WE Walk participants can also count their miles if they bike or swim.
WE Golf
There is no better way to kick off ACE than by joining us for a morning of golf, networking, and philanthropy.
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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.
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
Andy Cooper
Director
Chesapeake
Jennifer Elms
Texas
Stephanie Estabrook
California-Nevada
Ali Mahan
Virginia
Jared Ogle
Missouri
Jon Shellhorn
Kansas
Thank You to Our 2025 WE Golf Tournament Sponsors
Thank You to Our 2025 Scholarship Sponsors
“Thank you so much for the opportunity that the YP scholarship provided. As a young professional in the water industry, it meant a great deal to connect with others who share a passion for water, especially within the utilities space. Engaging with peers and learning from inspiring leaders gave me fresh insight into how our industry is evolving. The summit was empowering, and the tour of the Bachman Water Treatment Plant was an added highlight. Thank you again for supporting my journey as I continue to explore and build a meaningful career within the water industry.”
Misty Smith, CDM
Immokalee Water & Sewer District Immokalee, Florida
“Through the support of AWWA and Water Equation, I had the privilege of attending the MTC in Long Beach, California, where I engaged with leading professionals and innovators in the water sector. Thanks to Rachel Allergato, I visited a full-scale membrane bioreactor facility, which significantly broadened my understanding of real-world system design, process control, and operational challenges and insights that I am now applying to optimize my reactor setup.”
Muhammad Usman Saleem
Visiting Ph.D. Scholar, Arizona University
“Attending the 2025 AWWA YP Summit was a transformative professional development opportunity that provided valuable leadership skills in the water utility sector. I particularly valued the interactive workshops that provided practical tools for addressing infrastructure challenges we face in Newark. The connections made with fellow water professionals have already proven invaluable, opening doors for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Thank you to Water Equation for making this transformative experience possible through the scholarship program.”
Marina Shenoda
City of Newark Water & Sewer Utilities Newark, New Jersey
Contact Us
We are always available to answer any questions you may have about how to get involved or donate to Water Equation.
