Encouraging the public to care more about our water systems and services is the responsibility of every water professional, and it seems like an easy sell given that water directly affects public health and underpins the livelihoods and lifestyles that define our communities. One way to expand opportunities for community engagement beyond a community-wide event or issue is through citizen science. Citizen science—scientific research that is conducted in whole or in part by amateur scientists—is an opportunity for water professionals to connect with community members who are issue-focused and to influence and engage those whose interests lie elsewhere. Citizen science projects can be relatively low cost because they typically involve volunteers who are motivated by civic duty or community activism. Of course, these projects require time, resources, and oversight, including promotion/recruitment, training, and ongoing data collection and validation. If weighted more toward promotion, citizen science at a minimum allows a wide range of age and interest groups to better understand issues by fostering interactions with experts to investigate and track pertinent data such as water quality and supply parameters. The water industry could benefit from data points provided by citizen scientists, such as linking locational water quality measurements through online applications like GPS, GIS, mapping platforms, and social networks. As our analytical capabilities improve, it will be interesting to see if more concerned citizens become involved, and who knows what sensors may ultimately be included as simple smartphone applications in the future. Of course, for crowd-sourced data to be usable, there need to be quality assurances and data validation, and ongoing training and oversight could support at least some level of useful information collection. Across North America there are local, regional, and national efforts underway to encourage citizen science projects involving water, and looking forward, citizen science could ultimately be leveraged into the modern paradigm of safe water. For example, a well-distributed base of volunteers with sensors making measurements in a watershed can be coupled with localized, real-time monitoring and analysis so that utility managers can make more immediate source water protection decisions and adjust long-term strategies. The contributions of citizen scientists could be considered another layer of protection within the multi-barrier approach that typifies modern potable water systems. In the end, citizen science can promote engagement, contribute to social identity, and hopefully inspire curiosity in the next generations. Although this month's Journal AWWA doesn't include any contributions from citizen scientists, it does have several excellent peer-reviewed original research articles from academic and government investigators. Topics cover halide removal from drinking waters using silver-amended coagulation (page 13), stripping trihalomethanes using tray aeration (page 26), hexavalent chromium treatment using ion exchange (page 27), asbestos–cement pipe deterioration (page 28), and water main failures (page 29). Feature articles include topics such as partnerships for source water protection (page 30), advanced metering infrastructure (page 36), innovative financing (page 42), and sustainability (page 50). Please consider submitting your original research and practical perspectives for publication in Journal AWWA to better connect the water industry.