Water Professionals International

What Water Professionals International does

Water Professionals International (WPI) is a private, membership-based certification organization headquartered in Urbandale, Iowa. Founded in 1972 originally as the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC), the organization develops and administers psychometrically validated certification examinations for water and wastewater treatment operators. It offers the Professional Operator (PO) credential, described as the only internationally recognized certification for water and wastewater professionals, and has issued credentials to more than 500,000 professionals over its 50+ year history.

WPI's institutional customers are certifying authorities across 49 U.S. states and territories, 12 Canadian provinces and territories, and select jurisdictions in Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Its core product is the PO certification, backed by a long-developed library of psychometrically validated exam content. The organization has introduced Computer-Based Testing as an alternative delivery channel and is scheduled to launch Spanish-language versions of the PO exams (Classes I and II) in April 2026. It also convenes an annual "In the Company" (IiC) conference that rotates across cities.

The business model is structured around three revenue streams: (1) recurring subscription revenue from jurisdictional member dues, (2) subscription-style revenue from certification and testing services (per-exam fees plus computer-based testing), and (3) one-time license revenue from conference registrations. WPI operates as a private, non-publicly-funded body with no disclosed investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity in the available data.

Name

Water Professionals International

Legal name

Water Professionals International

Website

https://gowpi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Water Professionals International is a membership-based certification organization that develops psychometrically validated exams for water and wastewater treatment operators, serving certifying authorities across 49 U.S. jurisdictions, 12 Canadian provinces, and select international regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Operator Certification

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality Assurance/Quality Control & Accreditation (QA plans, proficiency testing, ISO/IEC 17025) (EUANAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services (in-house/contract labs; microbiology, metals, organics) (EUANAJAB)

Keywords

• Water operator certification
• Wastewater operator exams
• Drinking water credentials
• Utility workforce certification
• Professional operator testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbandale

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification and Testing Services: WPI provides testing and certification services to members including expertly written and managed exams. Revenue is generated through certification fees, exam fees, and membership dues.
2. Membership Dues: WPI operates as a membership organization where certifying authorities, trainers, and industry professionals pay membership fees for access to certification database, networking, and discounted services
3. Conference Registration: Annual Innovation in Certification (IiC) conference generates revenue through registration fees, with discounted rates for members

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Water Professionals International develops and delivers standardized, psychometrically validated certification examinations and credentialing services for water and wastewater treatment operators. The organization works with certifying authorities, regulators, training providers, and individual operators to administer exams, issue the Professional Operator (PO) credential, and operate reciprocity pathways across jurisdictions.

Product overview

Water Professionals International is a certification organization (not a technology company) offering a unified portfolio of testing and certification services for water and wastewater treatment professionals. The core offerings include ABC Testing Services providing exam validation, development, and delivery; Standardized Exams for water treatment, distribution, wastewater treatment, and collection; and the Professional Operator (PO) Certification program—the only internationally recognized certification in this field. Supporting products include Certification by Examination, Certification by Reciprocity, Examination Resources (study guides and references), and the annual Innovation in Certification Conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Professional Operator (PO): WPI's Professional Operator (PO) program is described as the only internationally recognized certification and professional development program for water and wastewater treatment professionals in the world. Operators with a PO designation demonstrate mastery of protecting public health, the environment, and accelerate their careers.

Products and services

• ABC Testing Services End-to-end examination services for certifying authorities and operators, including exam development, psychometric validation, administration, scoring, and result reporting for water and wastewater operator candidates.
• Standardized Operator Examinations Standardized exams covering water treatment, wastewater treatment, distribution, collection, and related operator classifications, designed for use by certifying authorities across jurisdictions.
• Professional Operator (PO) Certification A voluntary professional credential recognizing experienced water and wastewater operators, available through examination or reciprocity pathways for qualified individual operators.
• Examination Resources Reference and study materials supporting exam preparation, including study guides and formula tables for water and wastewater operator candidates.
• Innovation in Certification (IiC) Conference An annual conference convened for certifying authorities, regulators, trainers, and operators to share practices, network, and discuss innovation in water and wastewater operator certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ water and wastewater treatment professionals certified
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Water Works Association (AWWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2022WPI hosted a POWER event at AWWA's ACE22 conference in San Antonio, Texas, honoring recent Professional Operator certifications in a pinning ceremony. This partnership facilitates recognition of certified professionals at major industry events.
• Canadian First Nations and U.S. Tribal EntitiescoreOthersWPI provides certification services to many Canadian First Nations and U.S. tribal entities, supporting their water sector workforce development and certification needs.
• State and Provincial Certifying AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWPI membership spans 49 U.S. states/territories and 12 Canadian provinces/territories, with certifying authorities as core members who use WPI's testing and certification services.
• Certification Commission for Environmental Professionals (C2EP)coreOthersC2EP is responsible for the Professional Operator (PO) program, WPI's flagship internationally recognized certification. John Solvie serves as Chair of C2EP.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES): NCEES develops and administers standardized exams used by state licensing boards for engineers and surveyors. Directly comparable as a member organization of state regulatory boards that develops legally defensible, psychometrically validated professional exams across multiple jurisdictions.
• American Society for Quality (ASQ): ASQ operates one of the largest professional certification portfolios globally (CQA, CQE, Six Sigma) built on psychometrically validated exams and a member-driven structure. Comparable model in scale and operational mechanics, though serving quality professionals rather than water operators specifically.
• Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP): BCSP is an established credentialing body for safety professionals with ANSI-accredited, psychometrically validated exams and ISO/IEC 17024 conformance. Highly comparable business model (accredited professional certification) but in an adjacent occupational safety domain.

Direct peers

• Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA): ASDWA represents state drinking water program administrators who are the primary buyers of WPI's standardized exams. Comparable mission (state-level water quality workforce competency) and overlapping membership base make ASDWA a direct peer and potential channel partner.
• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO): IAPMO develops codes and certification programs for plumbing and mechanical professionals, including backflow prevention assembly tester credentials — a category in which WPI also offers standardized exams. Comparable professional credentialing model for trades with public-safety implications.
• Water Environment Federation (WEF): WEF is the leading technical and educational organization for water quality professionals focused on wastewater. It issues its own operator credentials and continuing education, directly overlapping with WPI's wastewater treatment, collection, and laboratory certification offerings.
• National Environmental Health Association (NEHA): NEHA credentials environmental health professionals, including Registered Environmental Health Specialist designations, using psychometrically validated exams. Overlaps with WPI's environmental quality credentialing scope and shares the same model of accredited exams tied to state regulatory recognition.
• American Water Works Association (AWWA): AWWA is the largest nonprofit scientific and educational association for water professionals in North America. Both AWWA and WPI serve the same community of drinking water operators and certifying authorities, and they jointly host recognition events (e.g., ACE22 POWER pinning ceremony), making AWWA the closest direct peer and ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GO_WPI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4uDAvinmT7wGJTh-wp4JqQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/waterprofessionalsinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-professionals-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/go_wpi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Professionals International