American Water Works Association

What American Water Works Association does

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1881 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with additional offices in Washington, D.C. and New Delhi, India. It serves the North American drinking water sector—primarily regulated water utilities, municipal water departments, consulting engineers, and individual water professionals (operators, engineers, utility managers, students)—by producing and maintaining more than 200 consensus-based industry standards, peer-reviewed publications (Journal AWWA, Opflow), Manuals of Practice, and an extensive continuing-education catalog. AWWA also convenes the sector through flagship events such as the Annual Conference & Expo (ACE), the Water Infrastructure Conference, WaterSmart Innovations, and the Water Quality Technology Conference.

AWWA operates a diversified membership-based revenue model with four primary streams: (1) individual and organizational membership dues (recurring annual subscriptions), (2) one-time/perpetual-license sales of standards, manuals, books, and digital PDFs through the AWWA Store, (3) conference and event revenue from registration fees and exhibitor/sponsorship sales, and (4) professional development revenue from eLearning courses, certificates, the Transformative Water Leadership Academy, and seminars. Distribution is global via the AWWA Store and international distributor partners (Accuris, Intertek, ANSI, Normdocs, Booknet, Aditya Books). Complementary revenue-adjacent activities include the Water Equation (501(c)(3) philanthropy), Water For People partnerships, the Career Center job board, and advertising/Sourcebook listings.

The association combines content/IP monetization with high-engagement event and community channels, while functioning as the primary federal advocacy voice for U.S. water utilities on infrastructure funding, PFAS regulation, and lead service line replacement. Notable recent activity includes the 2026 Veolia Workforce Academy North America partnership with WEF, ongoing litigation against EPA lead standards, and the release of major reports such as "Beyond the Replacement Era" (2026) and "Cooling the Cloud" (2025), reinforcing AWWA's positioning as the central trade body for an industry facing a projected $2.1–$2.4 trillion infrastructure investment need over 25 years.

Name

American Water Works Association

Legal name

American Water Works Association

Website

https://awwa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

American Water Works Association is a 1881-founded nonprofit professional association that sets 200+ industry standards, publishes technical content, and runs conferences and training for North American water utilities, engineers, and operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Industry Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Data Management, LIMS & Compliance Software (ELN, eDMS, reporting automation) (EUANAJAE), EHS Auditing, Inspections & Assurance (BPAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Water industry standards
• Professional association services
• Water utility conferences
• Drinking water publications
• Water workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AWWA operates as a membership-based professional association with individual and organizational membership tiers providing access to publications, resources, and networking.
2. Publications and Store Sales: Sale of technical manuals, standards, books, journals (Journal AWWA, Opflow), and training materials through the AWWA Store.
3. Conference and Event Revenue: Registration fees, exhibitor and sponsor revenue from annual conferences including ACE (Annual Conference & Expo) and specialized conferences.
4. Professional Development and Training: Revenue from eLearning programs, certificates, training videos, leadership academy, and seminars/workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AWWA is a nonprofit professional association that develops and sells over 200 consensus-based water industry standards and manuals of practice, peer-reviewed journals (Journal AWWA, Opflow), and technical books through its AWWA Store. The association also delivers value through membership programs, large annual conferences (ACE, Water Infrastructure Conference, WaterSmart Innovations, Water Quality Technology Conference), eLearning courses, leadership training, scholarships, and federal advocacy for water utilities across North America and internationally.

Product overview

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is a professional association for water industry standards and education, not a technology product company. AWWA offers a portfolio of professional resources including over 200 consensus-based Standards, technical Manuals of Practice, peer-reviewed Journals (Journal AWWA, Opflow), and educational programs through eLearning and the Transformative Water Leadership Academy. The association organizes major conferences including the Annual Conference & Expo (ACE), Water Infrastructure Conference, WaterSmart Innovations, and Water Quality Technology Conference. AWWA publishes the annual State of the Water Industry Report and provides the AWWA Scholarship Program, Career Center, and the Water Equation philanthropy initiative supporting workforce development. Additional offerings include advocacy programs, the Water 2050 long-term vision initiative, and the Partnership for Safe Water recognition program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Water Equation: AWWA's 501(c)(3) nonprofit initiative supporting workforce advancement, scholarships, young professionals, pro-bono engineering and consulting services for underserved communities, and leadership programs.
• Water For People
• Water 2050
• Partnership for Safe Water
• Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA)

Products and services

• AWWA Standards

Quantifiable outcome

• Water sector requires $2.1-$2.4 trillion investment over 25 years to address aging infrastructure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• VeoliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Veolia partnered with WEF and AWWA to launch the Veolia Workforce Academy North America, a free digital training program offering over 360 hours of license-aligned coursework for drinking water and wastewater treatment careers. The initiative addresses workforce shortages caused by retirements and develops technically skilled, diverse water professionals.
• Water Environment Federation (WEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026WEF partnered with Veolia and AWWA on the Veolia Workforce Academy North America workforce initiative. WEF is a leading water quality organization that co-developed the training program with AWWA to address sector-wide workforce challenges.
• Water For PeoplemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater For People is a charitable initiative supported by AWWA that works to provide sustainable safe water access globally. AWWA promotes Water For People through its website and member communications.
• WaterNow AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWWA partners with WaterNow Alliance on the Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA), a collaborative program focusing on sustainable community leadership integrating social, environmental, and financial concerns.
• Partnership for Safe WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-organization partnership program (including AWWA, EPA, and water utilities) recognizing water treatment plants achieving exceptional water quality through optimization. AWWA presents awards on behalf of the partnership.
• Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWWA and AMWA issued joint statements on PFAS regulatory proposals, coordinating advocacy positions on drinking water regulations and policy priorities.
• Clean Water Action/Clean Water FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWWA and Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund submitted joint comments to EPA on coal-fired power plant effluent limitations, expressing shared concerns about bromide discharges affecting downstream drinking water.
• Wiley (Online Library)coreTechnology or IntegrationWiley publishes AWWA's online magazines including Journal AWWA and Opflow. AWWA's online content is hosted through Wiley's online library platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Water Resources Association (AWRA): AWRA is a U.S. professional association for water resources science and management, with similar membership, conference, and journal business model serving an overlapping but broader (integrated) water-resources audience.
• National Association of Water Companies (NAWC): NAWC represents private and investor-owned water utilities in the U.S., with overlapping membership, federal advocacy on rate-making and infrastructure funding, and a comparable D.C.-based policy focus.
• Water Environment Federation (WEF): WEF is the leading U.S.-based membership association for water quality professionals focused on wastewater and water reuse, co-developing the Veolia Workforce Academy and the Utility Management Conference with AWWA. Highly comparable as a fellow water-sector trade body, with overlapping membership, conferences, publications, and advocacy mission.
• Water Research Foundation (WRF): WRF is a nonprofit research organization that funds and disseminates applied drinking water and wastewater research — directly comparable to AWWA's research-publication and thought-leadership role, with overlapping utility subscribers.
• WateReuse Association: WateReuse is a U.S.-based nonprofit association focused on water recycling and reuse, with a comparable member-driven model, advocacy mission, and conference/publication offerings that overlap with AWWA's content portfolio.
• International Water Association (IWA): IWA is the global network of water professionals publishing research, organizing the World Water Congress, and developing water utility standards — directly comparable as a membership-based water association with overlapping publications, conferences, and standards-setting role.
• Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA): AMWA represents the largest U.S. metropolitan water agencies and has issued joint statements with AWWA on PFAS regulatory proposals — directly comparable as a water-utility advocacy association with overlapping members and policy priorities.
• WaterNow Alliance: WaterNow Alliance is a nonprofit of utility leaders advancing sustainable water solutions, co-developing the Transformative Water Leadership Academy with AWWA — directly comparable as a mission-aligned water-sector association with overlapping programs and members.

Emerging players

• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO): IAPMO develops codes and standards for plumbing and mechanical systems globally, with an overlapping standards-development business model serving some of the same engineering and consulting audiences as AWWA.

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE): ASCE is a much larger engineering association whose members include many of the consulting engineers that participate in AWWA standards committees, with overlapping publication, standards, and continuing-education offerings across civil infrastructure including water.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/awwaace
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AmericanWaterWorks
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanwaterworksassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/222879
• Instagraminstagram.com/americanwaterworksassociation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Water Works Association