It's a Small World

There's so much that we share, that it's time we’re aware, it's a small world after all.” These are some of the opening lyrics to “It's a Small World (After All)” by Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman. These lyrics could apply to sharing water, the importance of which everyone should be aware.

In August of this year, AWWA shared the goals and visions of our Water 2050 initiative with attendees at the International Water Association's (IWA's) Water Congress, held in Toronto. IWA, in partnership with the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, had attracted water professionals from around the globe to share best water practices. We took the opportunity to seek their input on the five strategic goals of Water 2050 (Table 1) and determine how they lined up with their own water needs.

The Water Congress attracted attendees from seven countries: Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, Fiji, and the United States. While it is hard to say that these individuals spoke for their entire country, their responses reflected their country's water challenges. The good news is that the five strategic goals of Water 2050 resonated with the participants regardless of where they called home.

AWWA provided a brief overview of the five strategic goals, then asked the participants to discuss these goals at their tables. They talked about the water workforce, educating politicians, the emerging importance of technology, water awareness campaigns, and giving water a voice. As part of a final step, we asked the attendees to work with their country-colleagues and prioritize the five Water 2050 strategic goals. As you can see in Table 2, there was no unanimous conclusion; however, there was some consensus for each strategic goal.

Among the five goals, Sustainability and Resilience received the most first-place votes. Many groups emphasized that nothing else is possible without sustainability and expressed concerns related to the threats of climate change.

None of the groups indicated that the Finance and Affordability goal should be the top priority. In fact, it was the only goal not chosen as the top priority by any group. However, seven groups ranked it as the second priority, making it the most significant consensus. The groups discussed how finance and affordability affect infrastructure replacement and its relationship to the financial sustainability of utilities.

While Innovation and Circular Economy was most frequently ranked as the third priority, it is noteworthy that all but one group placed it in their top three. This clearly indicates the importance of this goal. One-Water Governance and Policy received a range of votes, with the highest number being three votes for the fourth-priority position. The fifth strategic goal—Equity, Access, and Community Engagement—was also considered a priority across the board and achieved its greatest consensus as the fifth overall priority.

These responses leave me with many questions, but three things seem certain. First, we can share knowledge with our global colleagues, and while our challenges differ, it's not by much. Second, when it comes to water, we must share best practices because it truly is a small world (and it is getting smaller, after all). And third, you’ll now have the chorus of “It's a Small World” stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Sorry.