Illinois Section AWWA

What Illinois Section AWWA does

Illinois Section AWWA is a non-profit professional association operating as the Illinois state section of the American Water Works Association, founded in 1909 and headquartered in Naperville, Illinois. The organization serves the state's water-sector workforce — including drinking-water and wastewater operators, municipal utility staff, consulting engineers, vendor/service companies, students, and young professionals — and reports a community of 25,000+ registered users on its digital platform.

Its core offerings span three revenue-bearing pillars: (1) credentialed training and continuing education, including Illinois EPA-approved operator courses, seminars, webinars, On-Demand Learning, Operator Study Groups, and WSO-branded textbooks; (2) conferences and events, anchored by WATERCON (positioned as Illinois' largest total water conference), the newer Water Works 360 Conference, and the Leadership Pipeline Summit; and (3) member services such as the Career Center, the Water Ambassador Program, and a public-education Water Trailer. Content is supplemented by member access to Journal AWWA and Opflow through the parent AWWA relationship.

The business model combines a recurring membership annuity (Individual $264/year, Operator $87/year) with transactional revenue from paid training, conference registration, exhibitor/sponsor fees at WATERCON and Water Works 360, textbook and merchandise sales, and Career Center placements. The technology backbone is a YourMembership.com association management platform (relationship in place since 1998) supporting registration, events, and community. With 17 employees, the section operates a lean staff model relative to its membership base and program surface.

Name

Illinois Section AWWA

Legal name

Illinois Section American Water Works Association

Website

https://isawwa.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Illinois Section AWWA is a 1909-founded non-profit professional association serving Illinois water-sector operators, engineers, utilities, and students through EPA-approved training, conferences (WATERCON, Water Works 360), publications, and a Career Center, supported by 25,000+ members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Industry Professional Education and Training

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

EHS Training, Competency & Culture Programs (BPAHAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Compliance (Spill Prevention, Waste, Air/Water) (EDABAEAK), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Water operator training
• Professional association services
• Wastewater education programs
• Water industry conferences
• Operator certification training

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to member benefits including periodicals, online research, training discounts, and networking. Individual membership is $264/year, Operator membership is $87/year.
2. Training and Education Programs: Revenue from seminars, webinars (live and archived), online learning courses, and home study programs. Pricing varies by format and member status, with early bird and regular rates available.
3. Events and Conferences: Registration fees for WATERCON annual conference, Water Works 360 Conference, Leadership Pipeline Summit, and other events. Includes exhibitor and sponsorship revenue opportunities.
4. Publications and Materials Sales: Sales of textbooks (WSO Water Treatment Grade 2 at $85, WSO Water Distribution Grades 1&2 at $85), supplemental workbooks, DVD resources, and outreach items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Illinois Section AWWA is the official Illinois state section of the American Water Works Association, providing education, training, and certification preparation for water and wastewater professionals. The organization delivers Illinois EPA-approved training courses that qualify for state-required operator renewal training credits, hosts major annual conferences (WATERCON, Water Works 360, Leadership Pipeline Summit), and runs in-person seminars, live and archived webinars, and self-paced eLearning courses. It also maintains a Career Center job board and offers membership programs that provide access to Journal AWWA, Opflow, AWWA Standards, and a network of more than 25,000 registered users across Illinois.

Product overview

Illinois Section AWWA operates as a professional association offering a comprehensive suite of education, training, and career resources for the water industry. The portfolio centers on in-person and virtual training programs (Seminars, Webinars, On-Demand Learning, Operator Study Groups), major annual conferences (WATERCON, Water Works 360, Leadership Pipeline Summit), and operator certification preparation courses using WSO textbooks. Supporting offerings include a Career Center job board, the Water Ambassador community outreach program, the Water Trailer mobile educational resource, and scholarship programs. The organization also provides publications, DVDs, and apparel through its online store. Membership tiers provide access to periodicals, research libraries, and discounts on training and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WATERCON Illinois' Largest Total Water Conference, an annual flagship event providing education, networking, exhibitor opportunities, and intensive training sessions for water and wastewater professionals.
• Water Works 360 Conference A premier 2-day educational conference exploring innovations in water and wastewater management, covering treatment, infrastructure, and sustainability topics.
• Leadership Pipeline Summit A two-day leadership development conference for water industry professionals at various career stages, featuring skills sessions and the Insights Discovery assessment.
• Seminars In-person half or full-day technical training sessions covering water distribution, treatment, SCADA systems, control valves, and other technical topics for operators and engineers. Courses earn CEU/RTC credits.
• Webinars Live and archived one-hour webinars covering technical topics, regulatory updates (including PFAS, Lead & Copper Rule), and professional development, many of which are free for members.
• On-Demand Learning / Self-Paced eLearning Courses Self-paced online instruction for flexible professional development and operator certification preparation. Includes archived seminars, archived webinars, and self-paced eLearning courses.
• Operator Study Groups Virtual one-hour collaborative learning sessions for new drinking water operators covering topics including fluoridation, chlorination, rate & fill, pumps & parts, sampling & bacteria, and boil orders.
• Operator Education Programs Comprehensive training programs for water and wastewater operator certification including A/B Exam Prep, Water Distribution O&M classes, and Wastewater Treatment courses that earn technical hours and qualify for state-required renewal training credits (RTC).
• Career Center Online job board platform for water industry professionals offering career postings, resume hosting, and job search capabilities. Free for members to post; paid postings available for employers.
• Membership Programs Multiple membership tiers (Individual at $264/year, Operator/Admin at $87/year, Student, Utility, and Service Provider memberships) providing access to Journal AWWA, Opflow, online research, training discounts, and networking.
• WSO Water Treatment Grade 2 Textbook Certification exam preparation textbook sold at $85 covering water treatment processes, regulations, operator math, and chemistry for Grade 2 certification.
• WSO Water Distribution Grades 1&2 Textbook Certification exam preparation textbook sold at $85 covering water distribution processes, regulations, system design, and maintenance.
• Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals 1 Textbook Textbook sold at $93 for wastewater treatment operator certification covering liquid treatment processes and fundamentals.

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• YourMembership.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationYourMembership.com provides the association management software platform powering the ISAWWA website. This includes membership management, event registration, website hosting, email marketing, online store, career center, and member community features. The software has been powering the site since 1998.
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois EPA partners with ISAWWA to provide approved training courses that qualify for state-required operator renewal training credits. Many ISAWWA courses carry IEPA course numbers (e.g., IEPA#15674, IEPA#14576, IEPA#19656) and qualify for RTC hours. Illinois EPA also presents regulatory updates through ISAWWA events.
• International AWWAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISAWWA is the Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association. This affiliation provides members access to Journal AWWA (8,500+ articles), Opflow (3,400+ articles), AWWA Standards at discounted member prices, and national conferences including ACE (Annual Conference & Exposition).
• Annual SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious water industry companies sponsor ISAWWA annually, including Baxter & Woodman, EEI, M.E. Simpson, Trotter Inc., Cahoy Pump, CBBel, CM Tengr, Giant2U, HDR Inc., Illinois American Water, Peterson & Matz, Strand, Arcadis, CDM Smith, Diehl Metering, Dixon Engineering, Reltd, Stanley Consultants, and WWSSG.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Iowa Section AWWA: Iowa AWWA section providing operator training, conferences, and member services. Comparable scope, regulatory framing, and product mix to ISAWWA.
• Michigan Section AWWA: Michigan AWWA section delivering operator training, conferences, and member services under state-specific regulatory framework. Functionally comparable as a Great Lakes-region AWWA section.
• Wisconsin Section AWWA: Adjacent-state AWWA section delivering the same mix of IEPA-style operator RTC training, conferences, and member services. Closest structural peer given overlapping training, regulatory, and member-base model.
• Indiana Section AWWA: Indiana AWWA section offering conferences, operator certification prep, and state-approved training. Mirror image of ISAWWA in a neighboring state regulatory environment.

Regional players

• Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA): Regional WEF member association covering Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota. Provides operator training and conferences relevant to wastewater professionals ISAWWA also serves.

Broad incumbents

• Water Environment Federation (WEF): National professional association for water quality professionals. Operates the same member/training/conference model across the U.S., making it a direct analog in mission and structure.
• American Water Works Association (National): Parent organization and larger incumbent providing the Journal AWWA, Opflow, AWWA Standards, and ACE conference that ISAWWA channels to its Illinois members. Overlaps on standards and content, but at national scale.
• National Rural Water Association: National nonprofit serving small and rural water systems with training, certification, and technical assistance. Comparable as a member-based water training organization, though with rural-systems focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-section-awwa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Section AWWA