Our Work

The Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) partners with our members and other organizations to produce the research, tools, resources, and information they need to advance water efficiency in their communities. Our work has helped water professionals seize new opportunities, uncover challenges, and break down barriers to achieve sustainable water use. To get involved and help define the work we do, join the AWE network today.

2021

Annual Report (2021)

2021 was another challenging year for the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) and our partners as drought – both prolonged and seasonal - continued across much of North America, with the prospect of increasing water supply instability because of climate change. At the same time, political divisions strained the ties that bind our nation together and threatened to prevent action on a host of pressing challenges, including the growing water crisis.

Learn more about AWE's eventful 2021 in the full report.

Examining the Water and Land Use Connection in Water Utility Planning Requirements: An Inventory of the Laws of all 50 States

The Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) partnered with the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) to examine and evaluate the legal requirements for water utility plans in each of the 50 states. AWE and ELI surveyed the statutes and regulations of each state, with a specific emphasis on how water utility plans intersect with land use policy and planning. This report reviewed relevant laws and conducted case study interviews to answer a series of questions on how community land use factors are considered in the requirements of water utility plans.

Annual Report (2020)

Despite the challenging circumstances of 2020, the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) persevered to provide research, member support, and policy advocacy that advanced sustainable water use across North America. As the world abruptly shifted to remote working, we collaborated with our partners to exchange ideas and strategies for navigating the new reality.

Learn more about AWE's eventful 2020 in the full report.

Annual Report (2019)

2019 was a year of production. AWE released studies, reports, manuals, handbooks, user guides, and webinars.

We successfully mobilized our community to help ensure a place for EPA’s WaterSense program in the FY2020 national budget.

We collaborated with Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) to establish strict guidelines for installing multiple showerheads in a single stall, thus closing a significant loophole in codes and ensuring effective water efficiency standards.

Annual Report (2018)

2018 has been a fabulous year for us at the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE). Our years of hard work are bearing fruit in building partnerships and highlighting our ongoing efforts to provide cutting-edge research and technical assistance. Our members tell us that we are making a difference...Making a difference is why we exist. It is gratifying to see our efforts working in so many geographies and with so many partners.

Colorado river basin regional scorecard cover

State-Level Water Efficiency and Conservation Laws in the Colorado River Basin

This report takes a closer look at the results of the 2017 AWE report, "The Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard: An Assessment of Laws" for the seven Colorado River Basin states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. It recognizes successes, and identifies opportunities where laws and programs can be strengthened to advance the sustainable use of water in the Colorado River Basin.

Annual Report (2017)

2017 was a landmark year for us at AWE. We completed a year-long process of negotiating, creating legal frameworks, and strategic planning to lay the groundwork for the California Water Efficiency Partnership to become the Alliance for Water Efficiency’s first-ever state chapter. There is great synergy in the work of both organizations, and we will be stronger by having an explicit and cooperative platform for working together.

Impact of Water Efficiency Program Expenditure on the Texas Economy

If you read the economic projections from the Dallas Fed or the Annual Economic Outlook from Texas A&M, the focus will be on the energy sector rebound from low oil prices, and manufacturing jobs, and housing starts. But water is behind all of those jobs — whether for oil exploration and production, steam electric generation or cooling for manufacturing, or the growing appetite for water in new homes and neighborhoods. And how much water Texas has — and will continue to have — shapes our economic growth.