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Celebrating 2026 Emerging Leaders Award Winners |
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WaterNow celebrated the recipients of our 2026 Emerging Leader Award during the AWWA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. last month. We had a wonderful time recognizing the next generation of water sector leaders who are advancing innovative, community-centered solutions. Congratulations to this year's honorees: Sarah Collins, Meghan Post, Bryan Benjamin, Wajiha Noor, and Marina Shenoda! More about this program and our Awardees: https://waternow.org/recognizing-the-next-generation-of-water-leaders/ |
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A Fresh Look. The Same Mission. Explore the New WaterNow |
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| The new site features real-world project examples, streamlined navigation to resources and toolkits and a growing network of water professionals across the country. |
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Team Spotlight: Welcome Katie Helm |
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WaterNow is thrilled to welcome Katie Helm as our new Senior Program Manager! Katie's connection to WaterNow runs deep; after years of collaborating with us through our partner programs, she's excited to officially join the team.
Katie brings a rich background in natural resource management, having designed and led water and electric efficiency programs, overseen water quality initiatives, and worked on fire mitigation efforts. |
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What drives her most is connecting people with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to make informed decisions about how we manage our shared resources. "I've loved watching this organization amplify sustainable water management throughout the region," Katie says, "and now I get to help expand the impact!" Based in Colorado Springs, Katie spends her free time roller skating, crocheting, reading, and hanging out with her cats. Please join us in welcoming Katie to the WaterNow team! |
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Welcoming New Leadership Council Members |
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WaterNow is pleased to welcome two accomplished water leaders to our Leadership Council: Paula Kehoe and Alane Boyd. Paula spent 15 years as Director of Water Resources with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, where she diversified the city's water supply through conservation, recycled water, and onsite reuse programs, and led the award-winning OneWaterSF initiative. Alane is a civil and environmental engineer with over 40 years of experience, principal of Desert Rose Environmental, and founder of the Transformative Water Leadership Academy. She is based in Utah. Please join us in welcoming Paula and Alane! |
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WaterNow's Leadership Council is a group of 13 dedicated individuals who guide strategic direction, champion the organization's mission, and help ensure long-term financial sustainability and growth. |
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Registration Open for the October 20 Resilience in the Rockies Summit |
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This event will cap off WaterNow and waterloop's Resilience in the Rockies docuseries and bring together municipal staff, utility professionals, policymakers, designers, and community leaders from across the state. Join us for an interactive afternoon featuring: Highlights from the docuseries Panel discussions with featured Colorado leaders and decision makers Peer to peer conversations on scaling water conservation strategies Opportunities to connect with partners working to build water resilience
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We hope you'll join us in Denver for this unique opportunity to learn from communities leading the way and explore practical strategies for Colorado's water future. Sponsorship opportunities are available and offer a unique opportunity to showcase your organization’s leadership, connect with key stakeholders, and gain visibility across a multi-channel platform including video, social media, podcast content, and an in-person event. Learn more about Sponsorship opportunities. |
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Congratulations to our newest Project Accelerator Cohort! |
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Through Project Accelerator, WaterNow partners with communities and water agencies to champion innovative, community-driven water solutions. We are excited to announce the three winners of our Summer 2026 Project Accelerator application cycle! Des Moines Water Works, Iowa: Connecting Customers with Leak Repair and Water Efficiency Resources City of Loveland Utilities, Colorado: Unlocking Community-Scale Water Savings Through HOA Partnerships City of Santa Rosa, CA: Developing a Residential Leak Repair Program
Learn more about Project Accelerator—and stay tuned for details about the next application cycle. |
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Deadline Tomorrow! Apply to the Transformative Water Leadership Academy |
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Applications for the Transformative Water Leadership Academy’s 2027 cohort are open through July 31! We are seeking emerging leaders in the water sector with 3 to 10 years of experience to participate in this 10-month program. |
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The Transformative Water Leadership Academy—jointly developed by American Water Works Association and WaterNow—is centered on a philosophy of sustainable community leadership. TWLA prepares participants for higher-level positions within the water utility sector and empowers them to take today’s—and tomorrow’s—challenges. The 2027 cohort will join a growing network and engage in experiential training and focused coaching programs that keep all types of learners in mind. Participants will gain tangible skills for setting strategies and ensuring the delivery of results that meet the triple bottom line of social, environmental, and financial performance for their utility. |
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ICYMI: How to Manage, Value & Invest in Natural Assets as Part of Water Systems |
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| On July 14 WaterNow hosted a webinar about how water utilities can incorporate natural assets into their asset management protocols, quantify the value natural assets provide to water systems, and invest in natural assets alongside all other water infrastructure. Watch the recording now! |
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New resource alert! Durham Trust Building Case Study |
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| WaterNow and River Network are excited to share that the Building Blocks of Trust online training now includes a new case study about how the City of Durham and the Community Empowerment Fund developed a durable partnership and refreshed the City's water affordability assistance program. The case study is part of the module focused on strengthening and rebuilding community-utility relationships. Sign up for the free training, or pick up where you left off, to read the new case study. You can also find the case study on WaterNow’s new website. |
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