State of the Water Industry: American Water Works Association Report (2024)

The American Water Works Association (“AWWA”) has released its annual report titled:

State of the Water Industry (2024). (“Report”).

The stated purpose of the Report is to provide insights into the challenges and priorities facing the water sector.

AWWA states that the information found in the Report is derived from a survey of more than 2,400 water professionals conducted in late 1983. 68% of those surveyed represented water utilities while 20% consisted of those providing goods and services to the water sector.

Key trends and emergency concerns are identified.

The Report identifies as the top ten issues facing the water sector as including:

1. Watershed/source water protection.
2. Financing for capital improvements.
3. Renewal and replacement of aging water and wastewater infrastructure.
4. Long-term water supply availability.
5. Financial sustainability.
6. Public understanding of the value of water systems and services.
7. Work force issues.
8. Groundwater management and overuse.
9. Drought or periodic water shortages.
10. Cybersecurity issues.

Central Arkansas Water’s Protection Manager, Raven Lawson, is quoted in the report as stating:

“In recent years, we have worked hard to change the narrative for our water sources, recognizing they are critical pieces of our water utility infrastructure. Understanding the sources’ role in our business model has helped elevate their importance across the industry. If we don’t have safe and reliable sources, we don’t have the ability to support public health. Just as we recognize threats to aging infrastructure, we now more readily recognize and understand threats to our source waters. From climate change to wildfire to excess nutrients and emerging contaminants like PFAS, we understand just how susceptible our sources are to outside influence, elevating the need for protection and placing a spotlight on their importance. Luckily, we are becoming more innovative in our protection strategies and are able to leverage partnerships and funding like never before in watershed and source water protection.”

The Report addresses topics such as:

• How prepared is your utility to meet long-term water needs?
• Implementation and status of utility plans and programs.
• Top ranked water quality concerns.
• Ranking of prioritization of financial commitments to cybersecurity and privacy initiatives.
• Utility level of priority for ensuring cybersecurity and privacy.
• Ranking the impacts of large-scale phenomenon on the water sector.
• Water utility priorities ranked high to immediate.
• Utility investment horizons.
• Access to capital in the past five years.

A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.