Industry

Abstract

Industry. Sector. Community. Business. Trade. Game. Profession. Add “water” before each of these terms and they have been used to holistically frame what water professionals do and the space in which they do it. But which, if any, fits best? As the title of this editorial suggests, I'm partial to “water industry.” Industry is noble sounding yet a bit of a throwback, and of the options, at least industries have been well codified (e.g., the Standard Industrial Classification and the North American Industry Classification System). Simply put, industries produce and distribute things of value: agriculture, electricity, entertainment, safe drinking water, and the like. What makes the water industry unique is that its principle product is a vital natural resource, a monopoly service, and a basic human right. This means that the water industry necessarily combines a wide range of professional skills and management practices. The professionals and volunteers who work in the water industry—drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater—share the same values of safeguarding public health, supporting and strengthening communities, and protecting the environment. Industries can be global, but more often they're rooted in a country or region. The North American water industry, for example, differs somewhat from those in other developed regions, but there are significant differences when you consider the concerns and issues of the water industry in the developing world. Part of this difference is a result of regulations, which, as they apply to regions, also draw together and define industries. Professional standards produced by industry associations also define the skills and products of an industry. For example, in North America, AWWA's Standards describe minimum requirements for design, installation, performance, and manufacturing of products used in the drinking water industry. The health and challenges of the North American water industry remain constant year over year, as rated by AWWA's annual State of the Water Industry (SOTWI) survey. The health of the industry has been rated almost the same since the survey launched 15 years ago, and the top 10 challenges vary little and mostly just shift position slightly on the list. What will move the stolid water industry to evolve? Besides increasing collaboration and greater public awareness, research and development are the keys that will spur the water industry forward. This progress is predicated on effective communication between researchers who discover advances in the lab and the professionals who apply practical applications in communities. Research is also a common educational foundation for the leaders who will drive the industry to improve with new models and innovative ways of understanding systems and their surroundings. In the end, “industry” is also a term that refers to working hard, and “industrious” is a fitting description of water professionals whose dedication, coupled with research, will guide our industry to do better. This month's Journal AWWA highlights the areas of disinfection and health. Original research on these subjects explores new drinking water contaminants such as GenX (page 13) and treatment effects on harvested rainwater (page 29). Feature articles highlight topics such as preparing for wildfires and extreme weather events (page 32), the US Forest Service's Forests to Faucets analysis (page 41), and 1,4-dioxane in water (page 54). Please submit your practical perspectives for publication in Journal AWWA and contribute to the scholarship of the water industry.