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WEF, Amazon, The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the Leading Utilities of the World Launch Water-AI Nexus Centre of Excellence

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The Water Environment Federation (WEF), Amazon.com, Inc., The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania (WCP) and The Leading Utilities of the World (Leading Utilities) jointly announced the creation of the Water-AI NexusTM Centre of Excellence, a groundbreaking 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 was unveiled during Climate Week NYC, one of the largest annual climate events in the United States, and will focus on two critical missions:

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

Organisations 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. The Water-AI Nexus Centre 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.

Howard Carter, President of the Water Environment Federation

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: Release of “Principles for Sustainable Water Use by Data Centers” provides a roadmap for data centre operators to minimise water impacts while maximising technological advancement. The report outlines four core principles:
    • Strategic design and location 
    • Optimising 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 Centre of Excellence brings together expertise across water, academic and utility sectors to ensure AI growth benefits water resources and reduces stress on water resources. By maximising efficiency, eliminating unnecessary water use and investing in community-tailored solutions, the Centre 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. By connecting research, industry practice and policy development, we can accelerate innovations that address water scarcity while enabling responsible technological advancement.

Howard Neukrug, Executive Director of The Water Center at Penn

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.” 

About Amazon 
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalised recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. 

For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About The Water Center at Penn 
The Water Center at Penn is a community-focused research centre working to find integrated solutions to the multiple challenges facing our world’s water systems and their watersheds. It strives to be a trusted, reliable partner whose work accelerates water equity by connecting, convening and collaborating across the sector. The Water Center’s research approach is centered around working alongside communities, bringing their knowledge and expertise to the solutions addressing their water challenges, sharing power and responsibility, and encouraging communities to take the lead in determining priorities, questions to be asked and the approach to answering those questions.  It shares resources, education, training and applied knowledge to support community goals. 

For more information, visit watercenter.sas.upenn.edu.

About Leading Utilities of the World 
Leading Utilities of the World is a network of the world’s most forward-thinking water and wastewater utilities, as defined by the network’s 14 distinct innovation areas. Its members represent the gold standard of utility innovation and performance throughout the developed world’s water sector. Leading Utilities is an initiative of the Global Water Leaders Group, a not-for-profit organisation helping to tell a better story for water worldwide by recognising achievement, providing a network for sharing ideas, and inspiring others to improve. Primarily a CEO-level organisation, it is funded by its Foundation Partner Jacobs and Corporate Member Grundfos, and collaborates with Association Partner the Water Environment Federation. There are no membership fees for its utilities, who meet three times a year at major water conferences around the world.

For more information, visit www.leadingutilities.org