The Water Council
The Water Council is a Milwaukee-based global nonprofit membership organization that drives water technology innovation through accelerators, competitions, and pilots, and advances water stewardship via its WAVE verification program, serving 154+ member companies, universities, utilities, and international clusters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMilwaukee, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Water Council does
The Water Council is a nonprofit global membership organization founded in 2009 and headquartered at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the only organization in the world focused concurrently on water technology innovation and water stewardship, serving a network of 154+ member organizations including startups, scale-ups, established water technology corporations (Badger Meter, A.O. Smith, Watts Water, Xylem, Rockwell), research universities (UWM, Marquette), utilities, and nonprofits across 30+ international cluster partnerships.
The organization's core programmatic portfolio comprises four pillars: (1) innovation acceleration via the BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator (70+ startups accelerated cumulatively), the semi-annual Tech Challenge competition ($260K awarded to 26 innovators from 12 countries since 2019, with $10K top prize sponsored by Badger Meter, Watts Water and Xylem), and a Pilot Program that has facilitated 19 pilots and $850K+ in pilot awards; (2) water stewardship verification via WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified, the world's first enterprise-wide water stewardship verification scheme, complemented by the first water stewardship professional credentialing system and a graduate-level course developed with UWM; (3) economic development services including the Soft Landing program for international companies entering the U.S. market and a Global Directory platform; and (4) convening via the annual ReFRESH Summit, Nexus Sustainability Leaders Summit, and global event presence (WEFTEC, SIWW, WEX Global).
The Water Council's revenue model is subscription-based membership dues from its 154+ members, supplemented by competitive federal grant funding (notably NSF's $1M Regional Innovation Engine award in 2023 with up to $160M potential follow-on, and SBA's $2.5M Regional Innovation Cluster Award in 2024), corporate sponsorship of programs, and economic development service fees. The organization operates with 11-50 employees and is governed by a board including representatives from Veolia North America, Wilo Group, Marquette University, and CIS. In June 2025, founding CEO Dean Amhaus retired after 15 years and was succeeded by Karen Frost as Executive Director.
The Water Council firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Water Council
- Legal name
- The Water Council
- Website
- https://thewatercouncil.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Water Council is a Milwaukee-based global nonprofit membership organization that drives water technology innovation through accelerators, competitions, and pilots, and advances water stewardship via its WAVE verification program, serving 154+ member companies, universities, utilities, and international clusters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Water Council industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Technology Innovation & Stewardship Services
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)
Keywords
Where The Water Council is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milwaukee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Water Council business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: The Water Council operates as a membership organization, generating revenue through annual membership dues from water technology companies, corporations, universities, utilities, and nonprofits worldwide. Members receive access to innovation programs, networking opportunities, and partnership facilitation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Membership tiers not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
The Water Council product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Water Council is a global membership organization that convenes and supports the water technology ecosystem through programs including the BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator (for late-stage water startups), the semi-annual Tech Challenge competition (with cash prizes up to $10,000), a Pilot Program for real-world technology testing in Wisconsin, and WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified — the world's first enterprise-wide water stewardship verification scheme. It also provides economic development services such as the Soft Landing program for international companies entering the U.S. market and the Global Directory networking platform.
Product overview
The Water Council is a global membership organization that serves as a hub for water technology innovation and water stewardship. Rather than offering a unified software platform, it provides a portfolio of programs and services: the BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator for late-stage startups, the semi-annual Tech Challenge competition for freshwater technologies, the Pilot Program for real-world technology testing, and WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified as an enterprise-wide water stewardship verification program. These programs are complemented by economic development services including the Soft Landing program for international companies entering the U.S. market, the Global Directory for networking, the annual ReFRESH Summit for industry gatherings, and professional training programs. The organization operates from its 247 Freshwater facility at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator A post-accelerator program designed for late-stage water technology startups, providing guidance on marketing, sales strategy, and commercialization, plus access to The Water Council's network of water technology professionals, corporate sponsors, and utilities.
- Tech Challenge A global competition for freshwater technologies that connects water innovators with leading water technology companies (Badger Meter, Watts Water Technologies, Xylem, A. O. Smith), offering cash prizes up to $10,000 and access to corporate expertise and feedback.
- Pilot Program A program that facilitates real-world pilot tests of water technologies in Wisconsin, helping startups demonstrate and advance their solutions through testing partnerships with utilities and end users. Has supported 19 pilot tests with $850,000+ in pilot awards.
- WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified An enterprise-wide water stewardship verification program that helps organizations improve water stewardship performance and reporting with independent third-party verification. The world's first enterprise-wide water stewardship verification scheme, with 15 organizations participating and 4 verified companies representing 2,000+ sites globally.
- Global Directory An online directory connecting water innovators worldwide with The Water Council's network of water technology companies, universities, utilities, and nonprofits for partnership and resource discovery.
- Soft Landing Program An economic development program that helps international water technology companies locate and establish operations in the U.S. market by providing physical office space, mentorship, and market entry support at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee.
- Professional Training Water stewardship training and credentialing programs including comprehensive professional training offered in partnership with the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), plus the first graduate-level water stewardship course developed with UWM.
- ReFRESH Summit The Water Council's reimagined annual summit focused on freshwater resiliency, bringing together water innovators, utilities, corporations, and industry leaders for keynotes, panels, and networking.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 70 startups have benefited from BREW and BREW 2.0 accelerators
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use The Water Council
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Water Council technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability12 records
Feature3 records
The Water Council partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Veolia North AmericacoreCollaboration on Water & Wastewater Workforce Center to address workforce needs in the water sector. Veolia hired Ashanti Hamilton to lead the center. Partnership includes joint programming and workforce development initiatives.
- U.S. Small Business AdministrationcoreSBA awarded $2.5 million Regional Innovation Cluster Award to support water technology sector from Milwaukee headquarters. Partners and subcontractors include University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Cimbria Consulting, Fresh Coast Climate Solutions, and CIS.
- U.S. National Science FoundationcoreNSF awarded $1 million to develop a Regional Innovation Engine focused on water and energy resilience for manufacturers and utilities in eastern Wisconsin. The initiative involves research universities and technology companies in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison, with future funding prospects of up to $160 million.
- Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC)coreIn 2025, The Water Council became an affiliate of MMAC, deepening roots in Milwaukee's water technology ecosystem while maintaining global mission.
- University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeecoreFounding member of The Water Council. Partner on School of Freshwater Sciences, water stewardship course development, and SBA cluster contract.
- Marquette UniversitycoreFounding member and partner on Water Quality Center, joint Nexus Sustainability Leaders Summit, and sustainability initiatives.
- American Chemistry CouncilcoreCollaborated to develop Water Body Risk Assessment (WBRA) framework to help members understand water uses, impacts and risks. Partnership includes water stewardship advisory services reaching 344 organizations.
- Alliance for Water StewardshipcorePartner on AWS standard implementation. More than 2,000 sites operating with improved water risk understanding through combined efforts. WAVE program builds on AWS framework.
- Badger MetercoreCorporate sponsor of Tech Challenge program. CEO Ken Bockhorst serves as Vice Chair of The Water Council board. Facilitated connections with Phuket water utility for potential smart meter pilot.
- A. O. Smith CorporationcoreOne of major water technology corporations in Milwaukee. Founding member of The Water Council. Co-sponsor of Tech Challenge and Nexus Summit events.
- Watts Water TechnologiescoreCorporate sponsor of Tech Challenge program. First organization to achieve WAVE re-verification. Partner on water stewardship initiatives.
- XylemcoreJoined as Tech Challenge sponsor in 2025. Major water technology company providing corporate expertise and feedback to innovators through the competition.
- Rockwell AutomationcorePartner in Water + Energy Forward Engine and water stewardship efforts. Collaborated on World Economic Forum white paper about public-private collaboration in decarbonization.
- CIS (Corvias Infrastructure Solutions)coreBoard member Sanjiv Sinha (CEO). Partner on SBA cluster contract and infrastructure solutions. Received private financing for stormwater infrastructure expansion.
- Beckhoff AutomationcoreSponsor of BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator program. Advanced controls and automation technology company supporting water innovation.
- Thales Water AdvisorscoreSponsor of BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator program. Strategy and finance advisory firm for water sector.
- U.S. Water Partnership / Water Smart Engagements (WiSE)coreFunded by U.S. State Department. Two-way exchange matching Asian cities with U.S. cities for water security. The Water Council matched with Phuket, Thailand. Facilitated international knowledge exchange and partnerships.
- Provincial Waterworks Authority PhuketminorThai water utility partnered through WiSE program. The Water Council facilitated connections with Badger Meter for smart meter pilot and shared knowledge on water management practices.
- SCS Global ServicescoreIndependent verification partner for WAVE program. Also participated in WEX Global and international water events with The Water Council.
- Water Environment FederationminorPartner in WiSE program. Collaborated on international water initiatives and represented at global water events.
- WEX GlobalminorInternational water and energy conference. The Water Council represented at WEX Global in Valencia, Spain with European members and partners.
- British WaterminorUK water technology cluster organization. Collaborative partnerships and representation at industry events.
- Water Alliance (Netherlands)minorDutch water technology cluster organization. Collaborated on video about entering U.S. market and international partnerships.
- Catalan Water PartnershipminorInternational water cluster partnership for knowledge sharing and collaboration on water technology initiatives.
- Freshwater Collaborative of WisconsincoreLinks emerging talent in water-related programs across 13 University of Wisconsin campuses. Partner in Milwaukee's water technology ecosystem.
- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)corePartner on pilot programs, water treatment technology demonstrations, and international delegation visits. Key utility in Milwaukee's water ecosystem.
- Enterprise IrelandminorIrish government agency that supported GKinetic Energy's U.S. expansion through The Water Council's BREW 2.0 program.
- Cimbria ConsultingminorSubcontractor on SBA Regional Innovation Cluster Award. Member of The Water Council.
- Fresh Coast Climate SolutionsminorSubcontractor on SBA Regional Innovation Cluster Award. Climate solutions firm focused on water and sustainability.
- Wilo GroupminorGerman multinational supplier of pumps and pump systems with U.S. headquarters near Milwaukee. Became member in 2024 and Global Sustainability Partner of Milwaukee Bucks.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Water Council competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Water Alliance: The Water Alliance is the Netherlands' national water technology cluster organization and an explicit TWC international cluster partner. Both organizations run innovation cluster programs, facilitate international market entry, and connect SMEs with utilities and corporates — making them functional peers in the cluster-organization category.
- Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS): AWS is the global standard-setting organization for water stewardship, and TWC's WAVE program is explicitly built on the AWS framework. Both organizations certify/verify corporate water stewardship performance and have overlapping member networks and geographic reach, making AWS the closest comparable to WAVE specifically.
- Imagine H2O: Imagine H2O is a global water innovation accelerator that runs cohort programs, pilots, and competitions for water startups — directly comparable to TWC's BREW 2.0 and Tech Challenge offerings. Both serve the same startup-to-enterprise pipeline and compete for sponsorship from major water corporates (Xylem, etc.).
- British Water: British Water is the UK's water technology trade association and a TWC international cluster partner. Both represent water tech member companies, run technical/educational programming, and facilitate cross-border partnerships — directly comparable in mission and member-base profile.
- Catalan Water Partnership: Catalan Water Partnership is a Spanish water cluster organization and TWC international cluster partner. Both serve as neutral cluster conveners connecting water technology SMEs, utilities, and research institutions with shared focus on innovation and internationalization.
- WaterStart: WaterStart is a Nevada-based water innovation cluster that facilitates utility pilots and startup commercialization, similar to TWC's Pilot Program. Both organizations broker relationships between water utilities, technology companies, and investors to accelerate adoption of innovative water technologies.
Broad incumbents
- Water Environment Federation (WEF): WEF is a large, established water sector membership organization with much broader scope (utility operations, education, advocacy). WEF is a TWC partner in the WiSE program and represents an incumbent industry association against which TWC competes for member mindshare in water sector convening.
- WaterAid: WaterAid is a large international NGO focused on water access and sanitation. While primarily a development/WASH organization rather than a technology cluster, WaterAid is comparable to TWC as a global water-focused nonprofit with membership-style institutional supporters and global program reach.
Emerging players
- Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN): SWAN is a global industry-led forum accelerating the adoption of smart water technologies. Both SWAN and TWC connect water utilities, technology vendors, and academics around digital and innovative water solutions, though SWAN focuses narrowly on smart-water/IoT while TWC covers the full water innovation spectrum.
Others
- SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is TWC's independent verification partner for the WAVE program and a broader environmental certification body. As the third-party verifier, SCS is operationally adjacent — comparable services could be developed by SCS or competing verification bodies, posing a structural risk to WAVE's defensibility.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Water Council social profiles
Digital presenceThe Water Council financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Water Council leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Water Council funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Water Council M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Water Council
What does The Water Council do?
The Water Council is a global membership organization that convenes and supports the water technology ecosystem through programs including the BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator (for late-stage water startups), the semi-annual Tech Challenge competition (with cash prizes up to $10,000), a Pilot Program for real-world technology testing in Wisconsin, and WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified — the world's first enterprise-wide water stewardship verification scheme. It also provides economic development services such as the Soft Landing program for international companies entering the U.S. market and the Global Directory networking platform.
Is The Water Council a public or private company?
The Water Council is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Water Council founded?
The Water Council was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Water Council based?
The Water Council is headquartered in Milwaukee, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Water Council make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are The Water Council's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Water Alliance, Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), Imagine H2O, British Water, Catalan Water Partnership and WaterStart. Broad incumbents are Water Environment Federation (WEF) and WaterAid. Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) is listed as an emerging player. SCS Global Services is listed as an others.
Does The Water Council have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Water Council.
What industry is The Water Council in?
The Water Council's product category is Water Technology Innovation & Stewardship Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANAAAG, Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory), with a secondary code of EUAHABAB, Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA). Its NAICS code is 541620.