For more than 15 years, water industry professionals have provided a wealth of perspective on the issues of immediate and growing concern to the water sector through the State of the Water Industry Survey.  This survey captures the general direction in which the North American water sector continues to move, as well as provides specific insights about critical areas for industry investment, informing the actions of key water sector stakeholders.  Over this period of time, interesting shifts in perspective have been observed, with respect to the perceived "soundness" of the water industry and the most critical issues facing the water sector.  Results of the 2019 survey indicate that the water sector remains focused on legacy issues of aging water and sewer infrastructure, financing capital improvements, long-term water availability, and public understanding of systems, services, and the value of water.  The survey also provides an opportunity to investigate large-scale external drivers and issues and their perceived impact on the sector, potentially increasing the complexity of solutions applied to address the significant issues identified.  These drivers are varied and include factors such as extreme weather events, climate change, pollution, political instability, housing markets, and wealth inequality.  When the initial survey was completed in 2004, it was designed as a simple study of where the water sector was headed and what roadblocks might be encountered along the way.  Now, with more than fifteen years of data collected, the survey able to provide knowledg and nearly universal value as a planning and communication tool, informing decision-makers and stakeholders of key water sector challenges and drivers.  This presentation will cover the results of the 2019 State of the Water Industry Survey, including summarizing key water sector challenges, identifying drivers that are anticipated to impact the direction of the water sector in the future, and taking a closer look at critical issues, such as infrastructure renewal and replacement, water utiltiy funding, rates, and affordability, and water resources in an ever more water-stressed environment.  Although bringing clarity to complex water sector can be a challenging task, the first step to identifying solutions begins with knoweldge.  <br/>

State of the water industry: Bringing clarity to complex water industry issues

2019 Fall National Meeting

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