Water World

What Water World does

WaterWorld Magazine is a B2B trade media brand serving the municipal drinking water industry, founded in 1985 by the American Water Works Association. It publishes a bi-monthly print and digital magazine (currently in Volume 42), a content-rich website (waterworld.com), three email newsletters (Weekly News, the What Is Series, and Engineering One Water), the Talking Under Water podcast, and a recurring schedule of sponsored webinars, eHandbooks, and whitepapers. Its editorial coverage spans drinking water treatment, water utility management, water reuse, asset management, smart water technologies, PFAS, and regulatory compliance. The publication also produces two annual industry conferences, the Smart Water Summit and the Wastewater Summit, and operates as the lead brand of Endeavor Business Media's Water Group, which integrates editorial coverage with sister brands Wastewater Digest, Stormwater Solutions, and Water Technology.

WaterWorld monetizes through a diversified B2B media revenue model: print and gated digital subscriptions, display and sponsored-content advertising, newsletter sponsorships, podcast sponsorships, and lead-generation products (sponsored webinars, eHandbooks, whitepapers) sold to water technology vendors. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; subscriptions require form-based inquiry, ad rates are quote-based, and newsletter subscriptions are offered free as a top-of-funnel acquisition layer. The audience is split between water utility managers, treatment engineers, and plant operators (end users of editorial content) and water technology vendors (advertisers/sponsors), including named advertisers such as Schneider Electric, Veolia, Xylem, Itron, McWane, Badger Meter, Kamstrup, and Diehl Metering.

The brand is privately held as a division of Endeavor Business Media and has undergone several ownership transitions since founding — from AWWA (1985), to PennWell (1991), to Clarion Events (2018), to Endeavor (2019). Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees. Editorial leadership rests with Editor-in-Chief Mandy Crispin (appointed April 2023) under Water Group Editorial Director and Vice President of Content Strategy Bob Crossen, with advertising operations led by Executive Vice President Diana Smith and regional account managers covering the East and West U.S.

Name

Water World

Legal name

WaterWorld Magazine

Website

https://waterworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WaterWorld is a B2B trade media brand covering municipal drinking water, publishing a print and digital magazine, newsletters, podcasts, webinars, whitepapers, and industry summits for utility managers, engineers, and water technology vendors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Magazine Subscriptions: Print subscription revenue from municipal water industry professionals seeking in-depth feature stories and technical insights.
2. Digital Subscriptions and Membership: Gated content requiring login, with members-only access to technical articles and premium content.
3. Sponsored Content and Whitepapers: Sponsored articles, webinars, eHandbooks, and whitepapers from technology vendors and water industry companies seeking to reach the audience.
4. Email Newsletter Sponsorships: Newsletter sponsorships including Weekly News, What Is Series, and Engineering One Water newsletters.
5. Advertising: Display advertising, sponsored recommendations, and branded content throughout the publication and website.
6. Podcast Sponsorships: Podcast sponsorships and mentions in Talking Under Water podcast episodes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WaterWorld is a B2B trade media brand serving the municipal drinking water industry worldwide. It delivers editorial coverage of drinking water treatment, water utility management, asset management, smart water, water reuse, and regulatory compliance through a print and digital magazine, an online news website (waterworld.com), the Talking Under Water podcast, webinars, sponsored whitepapers, eHandbooks, and industry summits. Revenue is generated through advertising, sponsorships, and subscriptions sold to water utility professionals, engineers, consultants, and water technology vendors.

Product overview

WaterWorld is a B2B media and publishing brand serving the municipal drinking water industry. The company offers a print and digital magazine, an online news website, podcasts, webinars, eHandbooks, whitepapers, and industry events (Smart Water Summit and Wastewater Summit). The portfolio operates as a content platform rather than a unified software product, delivering editorial coverage across drinking water treatment, water utility management, water reuse, asset management, smart water technologies, PFAS, and regulatory compliance topics through multiple content formats and delivery channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WaterWorld Magazine Print and digital flagship magazine serving engineers, managers, and consultants in the municipal drinking water industry, covering technology, products, and trends including water treatment, energy management, smart water, PFAS, and asset management.
• WaterWorld Website (waterworld.com) Online news and technology resource providing up-to-the-minute industry news, articles, and research for municipal water professionals, with public articles and login-gated member-only premium content.
• Talking Under Water Podcast Podcast covering water industry topics including news, trends, and expert interviews, distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.
• WaterWorld Digital Edition Digital version of the print magazine accessible online through a dedicated digital publication platform.
• WaterWorld Webinars Online webinar events covering water industry topics such as leak detection, water loss reduction, PFAS treatment, and smart water technologies, including sponsored webinars from technology vendors.
• WaterWorld eHandbooks Curated digital compilations combining articles on current topics impacting municipal water industry professionals, including best practices, emerging trends, and implementation case studies.
• WaterWorld Whitepapers Sponsored technical documents covering water treatment technologies, smart water solutions, PFAS removal, and infrastructure topics, available through gated downloads.
• Smart Water Summit Annual industry summit focused on smart water technologies and utility management, with editorial coverage and content marketing support from WaterWorld magazine.
• Wastewater Summit Annual summit covering wastewater treatment topics and technologies, with editorial coverage and marketing support from WaterWorld.
• WaterWorld Email Newsletters Regular email newsletters including Weekly News (Mon-Wed-Fri), What Is Series (monthly educational content), and Engineering One Water (bi-monthly engineering newsletter), available free of charge.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wastewater DigestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWastewater Digest is a sister publication under Endeavor Business Media covering the wastewater sector. Content from Wastewater Digest is featured in WaterWorld print magazine alongside drinking water content, providing comprehensive cross-sector coverage.
• Stormwater SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStormwater Solutions is a sister brand under Endeavor Business Media. Editorial content is combined into the WaterWorld print magazine, expanding coverage to include stormwater management topics.
• Water TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Technology (watertechonline.com) covers private industrial water sector. Content integration with WaterWorld magazine provides coverage of industrial water treatment alongside municipal focus.
• Smart Water SummitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry conference focused on smart water technologies. WaterWorld magazine provides editorial coverage and content marketing support for the event.
• Wastewater SummitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry conference covering wastewater topics. WaterWorld magazine provides editorial coverage and marketing support for wastewater industry event.
• STORMCONminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStormwater conference and educational event. WaterWorld provides marketing and editorial coverage under affiliated brands relationship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wastewater Digest: Sister publication under Endeavor Business Media covering the wastewater sector. Direct peer because it shares the same parent, audience overlap, and editorial integration; content from Wastewater Digest is bundled into WaterWorld's print magazine.
• Water Technology (WaterTech Online): Sister brand under Endeavor Business Media focused on the private industrial water sector. Direct peer because content integrates with WaterWorld and serves the same advertiser base and editorial pillars (treatment, smart water, PFAS).
• Water Online: Independent B2B digital media brand covering water and wastewater treatment technologies, products, and trends. Direct peer because it targets the same municipal and industrial water professional audience with news, articles, and supplier content.
• Treatment Plant Operator (TPO) Magazine: B2B trade publication serving municipal water and wastewater treatment plant operators. Direct peer because it shares the core audience of plant operators and covers overlapping treatment, operations, and regulatory topics.
• Stormwater Solutions: Sister brand under Endeavor Business Media covering stormwater management. Direct peer because editorial content is combined into the WaterWorld print magazine, making it a co-distributed channel for the same municipal water audience.
• Water Conditioning & Purification Magazine: Long-running B2B trade publication covering water treatment, filtration, and purification. Direct peer because it serves overlapping utility and commercial water audiences with comparable editorial and advertising products.
• Municipal Sewer & Water Magazine: B2B publication targeting municipal water and wastewater utility professionals with installation, maintenance, and operations content. Direct peer because it covers a closely related municipal water and wastewater audience with similar advertiser base.

Broad incumbents

• Endeavor Business Media: Parent company of WaterWorld and operator of a diversified B2B media portfolio spanning multiple industries. Broad incumbent peer because it sets strategic, capital, and resource allocation decisions for WaterWorld and operates comparable B2B media brands across other verticals.
• PennWell Water Group: Former owner of WaterWorld and broader B2B media publisher covering water, energy, and related industries. Broad incumbent peer because it continues to operate water-related brands and was the prior corporate parent, sharing similar advertiser and audience dynamics.

Regional players

• Water & Wastewater Treatment (WWT) Magazine: UK-based B2B publication covering water and wastewater treatment. Regional peer because it covers the same municipal water sector with similar editorial pillars (technology, regulations, treatment) but serves a primarily UK/European audience distinct from WaterWorld's North American base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waterworld
• Facebookfacebook.com/waterworldmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterworld-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Water World