With New Initiatives, AWWA Expands Its Reach At Home And Abroad

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is the largest and oldest water association in the world, but the eyes of CEO David LaFrance are set squarely on the future.

LaFrance sat down with Water Online Radio to discuss recent and in-the-works AWWA initiatives, what motivated the moves, and the intended impact.

First on the docket was follow-up to a “big announcement” from LaFrance at AWWA’s 2015 Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE15), revealed at the show’s Opening General Session, that AWWA is expanding to India. Water Online Radio’s Kelly Riggs asked LaFrance about the genesis and implications of the decision.

“It’s a big step,” said LaFrance. “The doors open up July 1 in Mumbai, India. We have a lot of members from India and … they have all kinds of water challenges in India — things that for us here, in North America, we just take for granted.

“Our members that are living in India asked us to come. We did some exploratory trips — we studied it for about a year and a half — and we’re just happy to open up that office and engage with those members locally in India.

AWWA is expanding in other ways as well. Todd Schnick of Water Online Radio asked LaFrance about AWWA’s philanthropic work and the meaning of what the association calls “The Water Equation.” Responded LaFrance:

“The Water Equation is a concept that, if we unite people who have knowledge about water and we have them share it with others, we can transform the industry.”

LaFrance noted a few ideas in particular.

“We’re trying to create a scholarship program that will be the largest scholarship program in the world for water professionals, for students who are studying to be water professionals. We have grant programs, so that we can help fund the various types of things that we’re trying to do, including in India. We have a domestic program that is called Community Engineering Corps; It’s a partnership between us, ASCE, and Engineers Without Borders, where we help the disenfranchised, smaller communities who don’t have resources for infrastructure projects. All of that is our way to give back to the community that’s given us so much.”

Get more details and insight by tuning into the full interview below.