The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has released its 2026 State of the Water Industry (SOTWI) Report, which shows that infrastructure renewal and replacement is the top challenge among water sector professionals. Financing for capital improvements followed behind at No. 2.
The annual State of the Water Industry report is compiled from data collected via a voluntary, anonymous survey of water and wastewater professionals.
The survey for the 2026 report was conducted between Sept. 21 to Oct. 31, 2025, from a total of 2,171 respondents. About two-thirds of respondents were from water utilities with at least 11 years of experience and at systems with more than 10,001 connections.
Water Finance & Management
by WFM Staff
May 6, 2026