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) provides 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 worldwide. This includes educating, encouraging, and engaging the next generation of water professionals with scholarship and continuing education support, leadership development, and professional engagement opportunities through AWWA events and seminars.
Water Equation also supports 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 lack of engineering support doesn’t stand in the way of communities overcoming infrastructure inequities.
In addition to CE Corps, Water Equation supports the Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA), where the next generation of water utility leaders focus 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.
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.
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
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
Water Operator Continuing Education
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
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. Invest in the future of your family and community today.
Ways to Give
WE Walk 2025
Join us for WE Walk benefitting young professional programs, held every year from April to May. Registration is still open for the 2025 WE Walk!
Register Now
WE Race 5K at ACE25
The annual WE Race for Water 5K marks the start of ACE25 in downtown Denver. Water Equation hosts the Race for Water 5K to support the Community Engineering Corps, a partnership between AWWA, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Engineers Without Borders-USA. Register today to participate!
Register Now
WE Golf
There is no better way to kick off ACE25 in Denver than by joining us for a morning of golf, networking, and philanthropy. We’re expecting another sellout, and we would love for you to participate in this great event!
Meet The Recipients
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.
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
Kristin Kihs
Vice-Chair
Pacific Northwest
Ali Mahan
Virginia
Jared Ogle
Missouri
Catharine Richardson
Chair
Wisconsin
Jon Shellhorn
Kansas
Thank You to Our Sponsors
“It is incredibly rewarding to be chosen for this scholarship and recognized for my hard work. This is a wonderful achievement for me—and a great weight off my shoulders. I hope my future academic work and professional career will make everyone proud.”
Nicole Dunn
Recipient of the 2024–2025 Denver Water Scholarship
“Receiving an AWWA Graduate Scholarship allowed me to focus on my studies and spend less time working to support myself. I am deeply grateful for the scholarship and the opportunities it has opened in my career post-graduation.”
Jacob Steele
Recipient of the 2023–2024 AWWA Larson Aquatics Research Scholarship
“Being selected by AWWA is a source of great happiness for me. It’s a dream come true.”
Sabrina Khettouf
Water operator/trainer, City of Montréal, Quebec
“Receiving this scholarship to attend ACE24 was a generous benefit to the town I serve. I am very blessed to have been able to attend ACE24.”
Justin Shaffer
Half of a two-person staff operating a small system, Monroe, Indiana
Contact Us
We are always available to answer any questions you may have about how to get involved or donate to Water Equation.
