WEF Partners with Leading Utilities of the World to Launch Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence

Technology and Innovation

The Water Environment Federation (WEF), Amazon.com, The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania (WCP), and The Leading Utilities of the World (Leading Utilities) announced the creation of the Water-AI NexusTM Center of Excellence, a collaboration that will develop sustainable water practices for AI infrastructure while also using AI to solve global water challenges. This knowledge hub at the confluence of water and AI brings together water utilities, technology companies, and researchers to address the complex relationship between digital infrastructure and water sustainability.

The Water-AI Nexus will focus on two critical missions:

1. Water for AI: Ensuring AI infrastructure uses water as efficiently as possible
2. AI for Water: Leveraging AI capabilities to solve pressing water scarcity and management challenges

Organizations across the water and technology sectors are invited to engage in this collaborative effort at water-ai-nexus.org—the central hub for the Water-AI Nexus community.

“Water utilities worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges from climate change and aging infrastructure, while simultaneously working to serve communities that depend on reliable, affordable water services,” said Howard Carter, president of the Water Environment Federation. “The Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence will accelerate innovation by connecting water professionals with AI experts to develop solutions that benefit both sectors as well as the communities they serve.”

Key Initiatives of the Water-AI Nexus: 

• Framework Development: Establishing standards and best practices for water use that can be shared across the data processing industry
• Insight Report: Today’s release of “Principles for Sustainable Water Use by Data Centers” provides a roadmap for data center operators to minimize water impacts while maximizing technological advancement. The report outlines four core principles:
  • Strategic design and location
  • Optimizing operational efficiency
  • Using sustainable water sources
  • Pursuing water replenishment to deliver water back to communities
• Knowledge Sharing: Case studies and research findings through publications and events
• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Uniting water utilities, AI developers, researchers and government officials

“We believe responsible innovation means both addressing our water footprint and using technology to solve global water challenges,” said Beau Schilz, water principal at Amazon Web Services (AWS). “At Amazon, we strive to reduce water use in our operations, which include logistics sites such as fulfilment centers, as well as in our corporate offices and grocery stores. We’re also committed to returning more water to communities than we use across our data centers by 2030—being a founding leader of the Center of Excellence will help not only Amazon in its goals, but others as well, as we aim to collectively transform water management worldwide.”

The Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence brings together expertise across water, academic, and utility sectors to ensure AI growth benefits our water resources and reduces stress on our water resources. By maximizing efficiency, eliminating unnecessary water use, and investing in community-tailored solutions, we can collectively ensure that technological advancement and environmental stewardship will—and must—advance together.

“The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania is proud to bring academic expertise to this critical collaboration,” said Howard Neukrug, executive director of The Water Center at Penn. “By connecting research, industry practice, and policy development, we can accelerate innovations that address water scarcity while enabling responsible technological advancement.”

Christopher Gasson, publisher of Global Water Intelligence and founder of Leading Utilities, added “The intersection of water management and artificial intelligence is a turning point for the sector, both a critical challenge and unprecedented opportunity. The Water-AI Nexus will be a vital platform where utilities can directly collaborate with technology innovators to ensure water sustainability isn’t compromised by digital growth.”