From streamlining data workflows to preserving decades of field knowledge, utilities of all sizes are demonstrating that GenAI isn’t just a technology trend — it’s a workforce enabler.
The AWWA Water 2050 origin story
Just days after ChatGPT’s public release in November 2022, water sector leaders began exploring its implications. One of the first organized responses came through AWWA’s Water 2050 initiative: a forward-looking effort to envision the future of the global water community.
Recognizing the transformative potential of GenAI early on, Water 2050 catalyzed momentum that led to the formation of a new national research effort: Generative AI for the Global Water Sector.
A first-of-its-kind utility collaboration
Building off that momentum, a first-of-its-kind utility collaboration was launched. The groundbreaking project was officially launched by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), in collaboration with the Water Environment Federation (WEF), Karmous Edwards Consulting (KEC), and The Water Research Foundation (WRF). With participation from over 20 utilities in the United States — and international input from utilities in the United Kingdom and South Korea — the initiative is the first coordinated national research network zeroing in on GenAI and building on the broader AI efforts already underway in the water sector.
Under the technical leadership of KEC, the project is exploring how GenAI can address critical industry challenges, such as infrastructure management, water resource and environmental resilience and public engagement and understanding of the value of water.
The project aims to:
– Establish a foundational understanding of GenAI’s role for utilities
– Develop and share best practices and case studies
– Build a research roadmap to guide future applications
– Promote secure experimentation while addressing cybersecurity concerns.
As Gigi Karmous-Edwards, principal of KEC, puts it:
“Together, we aim to leverage the cost-effective yet sophisticated capabilities of generative AI to enhance utility operations, bridge the digital divide among utilities of all sizes, and establish a research roadmap that will propel global digital transformation in the water sector.”
And in the words of AWWA CEO David LaFrance:
“Generative AI is a game changer that will transform the water community in ways we cannot yet fully imagine. The amazing members of the project team will lay the foundation to bring unimagined possibilities into our daily strategic operations.”
Project leadership includes: David Hale, Principal Investigator (PI), AWWA; Gigi Karmous-Edwards, Co-PI, KEC; Fidan Karimova, Co-PI, WEF; Sydney Samples, Research Manager, WRF.
From global momentum to local implementation
This national effort is built around real-world experimentation. Utilities of all sizes — from large, tech-forward operations to rural systems serving just a few hundred residents — are testing GenAI applications and documenting their results.
Each pilot is captured in an “experiment capture page” that includes:
– The use case
– Tools or models used – e.g., Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPTs), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Python
– Data sets involved
– Prompt structures and examples.
Monthly calls with the G3 Utility Group (Global Utilities Using Generative AI) allow participants to share results, troubleshoot challenges, and collaborate on topics like cybersecurity, data governance, and organizational adoption.
What’s working in the field
Utilities are already putting GenAI to work in practical, replicable ways. A few standout examples:
Knowledge Retention – Carlton, GA
One standout GenAI pilot preserved the expertise of Jerry, an 82-year-old water distribution veteran, by turning his experience into a chatbot. Focused initially on chlorine protocols, the “What Would Jerry Do?” assistant now helps field workers find guidance in his own words — capturing decades of institutional knowledge for future teams
Digitizing Field Logs – Town of Victoria, VA
A small utility is converting handwritten water quality logs into digital spreadsheets, enabling faster compliance reporting and basic trend analysis — all without major tech investment.
Sensor Maintenance – HRSD (VA)
By combining live sensor data, manufacturer specifications, and historic performance, including email conversations on detailed technical analysis over the years, HRSD developed a tailored GPT assistant to support troubleshooting and improve sensor reliability.
Invoice Analysis – Inland Empire, CA
Simply uploading two years of lab invoices allowed this utility to uncover patterns in supply chains, identify risks from tariffs, and optimize ordering practices.
Qatium’s involvement
Our mission is to make digital water management available to utilities of all sizes.
That’s why we’re collaborating with this initiative to explore how GenAI can help utilities leverage GIS data and adopt digital twin capabilities using Qatium’s platform.
Hear how our customers are benefiting from our platform and explore real digital water success stories from utilities of all sizes here.
From pilots to practice
These experiments are forming the blueprint for how GenAI can be responsibly and effectively adopted across the water sector. The goal isn’t just to automate — it’s to enhance.
By capturing what works, lowering barriers to experimentation, and sharing openly, the sector is building a new kind of digital transformation — one led by utilities, for utilities.The result: not just isolated pilots, but a coordinated leap forward.
For full details of WRF project 5321, The Role of Generative AI (GenAI) for the Global Water Sector, visit WRF here.