5 Groups Helping Communities With Water Management

Access to clean water is easy to take for granted in developed nations, but the infrastructure behind it requires enormous expertise to maintain, and many parts of the world still suffer from shortages of this vital resource. Charities and corporate entities around the globe help to repair, upgrade, and expand the hydrological systems on which we rely. The following organizations, presented in no particular order, work to safeguard and improve humanity's crucial water resources.

#1 on our list is the International Water Association, a network uniting members of the hydration and wastewater industries, with the aim of developing solutions to global challenges like climate change and sanitation. The group conducts research on water access and organizes projects like the RECONECT initiative, which works to implement nature-based strategies for mitigating damage from extreme weather.

Through its reports and policy agendas, IWA outlines strategies for strengthening and safeguarding the hydrological systems underpinning global health, agriculture, and energy. The organization helps industry members find professional development opportunities, and brings together experts in the field for research conferences and policy summits. The IWA Awards recognize those who have made important contributions to innovations in the water sector.

Next up is #2, the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, an international network developing and promoting climate resilience practices with a particular focus on water management. Through expert training, research, and informational resources, its members work to advance techniques of climate risk mitigation. Initiatives like the NAIAD project, which builds tools for quantifying the insurance value of ecosystems, offer insights into the threats posed by environmental degradation.

AGWA's Knowledge Platform promotes novel approaches to technical water management, with case studies examining the effectiveness of various climate adaptation methods around the world. The other prong of the organization's work is the Policy Group, which publishes strategic recommendations and engages directly with decision makers to drive action on climate issues.

At #3 we have Opti, a company creating technology for real-time monitoring and adaptive control of stormwater infrastructure. The OptiNimbus system integrates meteorological forecasts with on-site sensors and flow controls. These upgrades enable retention areas to adjust performance based on changing conditions, increasing their ability to prevent flooding and runoff. The technology is operated via a cloud-based platform that provides interactive dashboards and data exporting capabilities.

Opti assists communities with projects like its capacity expansion for a flood control pond in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, or its retrofit to enable a commercial retention basin in Philadelphia to meet regulatory standards. The company conducts educational outreach about smart management of water resources, with efforts including informative webinars and classroom visits in public schools.

#4 in the rundown is charity: water, a nonprofit that brings clean and safe hydration to people in developing countries. The group works with local experts and community members to find the best solutions for each region, with options including piped systems, rain collection tanks, or BioSand Filters. Projects like solar-powered pump installations in Mali relieve locals of the burden of walking for miles to retrieve water, and reduce infections from contaminated wells and rivers.

By pairing its infrastructure projects with education on hand washing and other sanitation practices, charity: water promotes health in regions heavily impacted by aquatic diseases. The group also works to inform the public about the social impacts of clean water access, and provides maintenance and monitoring for its completed installations, with advanced electronic sensors enabling rapid response when systems in remote areas break down.

We'll conclude at #5 with Performance Services, a company that specializes in constructing and renovating municipal, healthcare, and education facilities to optimize efficiency. Its water management services assist communities and organizations in implementing smart meters for precise tracking of usage, performance, and leaks. The firm's integrated approach also enables it to minimize water waste in both the construction and everyday operation of its buildings.

Performance Services has completed numerous water infrastructure upgrades for utilities and municipalities, such as its large-scale metering overhaul for Agua SUD in Palmview, Texas. The company offers Performance Contracts for public entities, allowing them to pay for systems upgrades using the savings from the resulting efficiency increases, to eliminate up-front costs.