Water 2050

Equity, Access & Community Engagement

Water 2050

Equity, Access, & Community Engagement

Overview

The Equity, Access, and Community Engagement Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) is dedicated to strengthening public trust in water services. We’re achieving this by deepening our understanding of community water needs and fostering a culture where everyone feels connected to and shares responsibility for our water future. This involves promoting community education and engagement, as well as building a diverse and resilient water workforce.

Community Engagement

We’re assessing current consumer water knowledge and sentiment, as well as utility communications efforts to identify gaps and opportunities. We’re also collaborating with experts outside of AWWA to develop effective water messaging and promote community engagement in water issues.

Public Trust & Engagement

The Challenge:

Communication capacity is often limited and influenced by utility size
Capacity constraints, complexity, authority, and public engagement hinder effective communication
AWWA is viewed as moderately effective mainly due to lack of awareness and fit

“Our mission is to deepen our understanding of communities’ water needs and strengthen public trust in water services providers through education, community engagement in water policy, and creating a culture where everyone has a personal connection to – and shared responsibility for – our water future.”

The Team’s Response:

Utilities facing communication demands need support designed for real-world constraints, thereby reducing risk, increasing efficiency and capacity, and building community trust around water value and rate decisions.

Water Workforce Development

Workforce 2050

The Challenge:

Aging workforce and lack of succession planning
Low visibility of water careers, especially to diverse communities
Fragmented workforce pipelines
Misalignment between education/training programs and evolving field needs
Rigid HR structures

The Team’s Response:

Rebrand Water Careers
Rebuild the Talent Pipeline
Redesign Work Environments
Reskill and Retain
Realign Policy and Funding

HR Network

The Challenge:

HR professionals within the water sector are in need of community as they often operate in isolation—embedded in utilities, consulting firms, government agencies, and service providers.

The Team’s Response:

Connect: Build a professional network of HR and workforce development leaders
Learn: Share emerging practices in hiring, onboarding, DEI, succession planning, and organizational development
Create: Co-develop practical workforce tools
Elevate: Promote the water sector as a high-impact, purpose-driven career path
Align: Work closely with leaders to integrate sector-specific needs into broader workforce efforts

Social Demographic Think Tank Presenters

Water 2050: Equity, Access & Community Engagement

The envisioned world of 2050 will include:

A community-centered approach to water management that recognizes the needs of all constituents.
Positive water habits driven by individuals’ “personal” connection to water.
Cultural and social change that demands that access to water is viewed in the broader context of poverty and ensures more equitable access within and across communities.
Public service employees who view their jobs as a higher calling, providing water for all.
Partnerships with public, private and philanthropic partners, as well as government at all levels, to advance equitable water services.

Recommended Actions

The short-term recommended actions for the Equity, Access & Community Engagement Strategic Priority include:

Deepen our understanding of communities’ water needs and strengthen public trust in water services providers through education, community engagement in water policy, and creating a culture where everyone has a personal connection to – and shared responsibility for – our water future.
Attract, develop, and sustain a skilled, technologically savvy water workforce that is engaged and reflects the diversity of the communities they serve.

Community Engagement

Resources

Water 2050: Strengthening Public Trust in Water

This webinar highlights stories from water providers across the United States who have built strategic relationships with the communities they serve. This is a conversation-based webinar, filled with examples, visuals, and research to show the impact of community engagement.

Access Recording

Water 2050: Strengthening Public Trust in Water

Access Recording

2050 Video

Social/Demographics Issues

Equity of access to clean, safe, reliable drinking water and sanitation in 2050 and beyond demands planning that values diversity, inclusion, and public engagement.

See All Water 2050 Videos

Download

Water 2050 Think Tank Reports

Social/Demographics Think Tank:

A diverse group of influential thinkers from within and outside the water community developed nine proactive recommendations considering key social and demographic shifts and their impact on the future of water in the fifth think tank report of the Water 2050 initiative.

The 27 participants in the Water 2050 Social Demographics Think Tank, which took place April 26-28, at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, included highly respected voices from the water and wastewater utility community, international development agencies, academics, demographers, cultural anthropologists, consulting and manufacturing firms and CEOs. The group engaged in a series of facilitated discussions and developed recommended actions that can be grouped into three broad categories: