2024 Year in Review US Water Alliance

Thanks to the growth of our team, our membership and partners, and the broader One Water movement, 2024 served as a milestone year for the US Water Alliance. Our programs flourished at a scale never before possible—from supporting local One Water initiatives to deepening international partnerships. Together, we expanded technical assistance to over 20 communities across the nation, published new research to better understand water’s importance in the minds of Americans, and amplified the stories of water far beyond the traditional sector, reaching millions through our campaigns and communications.

This year’s accomplishments would not have been possible without the dedication of our incredible members, partners, and supporters. Whether you’ve been alongside us for a few months or a decade, your partnership is critical to our collective One Water future.

Our work to achieve a sustainable and equitable water future is making greater, deeper impacts across the country. We are thrilled to share these collective achievements in our 2024 Year in Review!

We shared our 2024 – 2027 Strategic Framework

Developed in collaboration with our staff, Board of Directors, One Water Council, key allies, funders, and incredible partners, this framework outlines the fundamentals that will guide the Alliance for the next three years, building on the successes and learning of the past three years and recognizing important changes occurring in the water sector.

We’re actively supporting over 20 communities across the nation through our National Environmental Finance Center

From the Pacific Northwest to St. Croix and many communities in between, our Equitable Infrastructure team is providing on-the-ground technical assistance to underserved communities so they may access federal funds for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure improvements.

We told the water stories of four communities across the nation through a video storytelling project

Through our work with the US EPA’s Community Solutions Team Pilot Project to help communities access resources to apply for federal water infrastructure funding, we spotlighted the communities and residents of Akron, MI, Silverton, CO, Gila County, AZ, and Lynchburg, SC, to show the acute need for increased water infrastructure funding as well as share lessons learned from the pilot and community stories that emerged throughout the process.

We shared a report to quantify the positive economic impacts of federal investment in water

Written alongside the American Society of Civil Engineers and EBP US, Inc., our Value of Water Campaign report found that by continuing to invest in water under spending levels established through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, we will close the national water investment gap by $125 billion over the next 20 years.

Our Value of Water Campaign marked one decade of Imagine a Day Without Water

Our annual day of action—which unites organizations, utilities, governments, schools, and individuals to uplift the critical role water plays in our lives and advocate for further investment in water systems—reached over 12 million people across the web and engaged communities around the globe.

We held four One Water Leadership Institutes

Centered this year on climate action, affordability, regional partnerships, and workforce and leadership development, our Institutes were on-site, multi-day opportunities for US Water Alliance members to learn from sector-wide leaders, gain in-depth knowledge, and put new skills into practice alongside peers from across the country.

We released a groundbreaking report to transform the water workforce

As a response to the massive wave of retirements in the water sector and the current composition of our water utility workforce being whiter and older than the communities that utilities serve, Toward a Strong and Equitable Water Workforce identifies three strategies and nine initiatives to improve both quantity and equity in our water utility workforce.

We released message testing guidance to drive effective communications on key water topics

To help our members and the broader field act on top-of-mind topics in the One Water movement, we created research-backed communications guidance that includes “dos” and “don’ts” for talking about water affordability, regional partnerships, and climate action.

We began a partnership with Delaware State University through our National Environmental Finance Center

This marks the first-ever formal partnership between an HBCU and an Environmental Finance Center—a critical step in effectively and equitably providing community-specific technical and financial management assistance focused on water and wastewater infrastructure.

We organized and hosted five One Water webinars

Racial equity, affordability, One Water in Texas, workforce, and lead service line removal were the expert-led topics of our 2024 One Water Webinar series, all of which were free and open to the public with hundreds joining each conversation.

We launched three Water Equity Network “Taskforces”

These Taskforces bring together utilities and community-based organizations to design and implement equity-centered programs and initiatives focused on water affordability, building the water workforce, and advancing racial equity.

We shared the results of our 2024 Value of Water Index

Released during Infrastructure Week, our ninth annual national poll of over 1,000 American voters revealed strong bipartisan support for ensuring reliable water services and increased infrastructure funding, heightened concerns about water affordability, and a desire for elected officials to prioritize water investments.

We shared insights from our second Mentoring Connections Cohort

This report included perspectives from rising water sector professionals on participating in our Mentoring Connections program, where the water sector is headed, and the kind of support the next generation of water leaders needs to meet current and future challenges.

We held a webinar series on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment

Developed by a cross-sector, international team, this four-part webinar series was designed for wastewater professionals looking to deepen their understanding of greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment processes.

We highlighted infrastructure successes through our #WaterWins campaign

To showcase the positive impacts water funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making, we created a campaign on our new-in-2024 Value of Water Campaign LinkedIn page to feature water infrastructure success stories in communities across the nation.

We announced our next One Water Summit

From July 8 – 11, 2025, we’re holding our signature event in Pittsburgh, PA—a city that has served as a national model for centering water equity, advocating for sustainable water policies, removing lead service lines, and driving large-scale water infrastructure projects.

We also opened nominations for our US Water Prize, which recognizes outstanding achievement in sustainable, integrated, and inclusive solutions to our country's water challenges. Winners of the 2025 US Water Prize will be announced in Pittsburgh during One Water Summit.

We grew our membership with 19 new members