Career resources

The AWWA Career Center offers job descriptions and salaries for many positions within the water profession, including the areas of engineering, information services, operations. The Career Center also offers information on resumes and cover letters and water operator certification.

Also check out this interactive map of People Behind the Water. This consumer-focused illustration introduces the skilled professionals responsible for bringing safe water to them every day. Do you see a position you might be interested in?

Industry trends

The annual AWWA State of the Industry (SOTI) survey, launched in 2004, identifies and tracks significant trends in the water industry. It also identifies critical concerns and gauges water professionals' perception of the relative health of the industry, which helps the industry prioritize programs and services and provides an industry-wide forum addressing essential water issues.

The 2007 SOTI, published in the October 2007 issue of Journal AWWA,  indicated that the industry workforce and the sustainability of its human resources was a prime concern for many respondents. Although the workforce had already established a profile as a long-term concern, this year the category rose to the fifth spot on the list of near-term critical issues.

For future SOTIs, search The Water Library, AWWA's online repository of downloadable resources.

The Career Center also provides additional information on industry trends such as privatization, infrastructure, public involvement, water resources and regulatory trends.

Industry acronyms

The water industry is replete with an array of acronyms for measurements, organizations, regulations, governmental bodies, you name it. This downloadable glossary of common industry acronyms serves as helpful "cheat sheet" reference. Also avaibale from the AWWA Bookstore is the Drinking Water Dictionary.