Why future water leaders matter more than ever

Investing in future water leaders matters now more than ever because utilities must replace retiring expertise while building the digital skills needed to manage increasingly complex water systems. Developing the next generation of talent will be critical to resilience, innovation and reliable water services.

Water utilities are facing a workforce transition unlike any in decades. Experienced operators are retiring, vacancy rates remain elevated and the knowledge required to manage increasingly complex systems is becoming harder to replace. At the same time, utilities are navigating aging infrastructure, severe weather, emerging contaminants, cybersecurity concerns and growing expectations around digital transformation. Developing the next generation of water professionals is no longer just a workforce issue. It is becoming a resilience issue.

The challenge is measurable. American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) 2025 benchmarking survey found that 21% of utility employees are eligible to retire within five years, compared with a 9% average vacancy rate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects roughly 10,000 operator openings annually through 2034. More than 30% of the water workforce is aged 55 or older, while only 4.5% is under age 25. The challenge is not limited to North America. Across Europe, the EurEau water sector association has identified an aging workforce as a growing concern for water service providers as they modernize infrastructure, respond to climate pressures and address increasing investment needs. These trends raise an important question for utility leaders: who will operate, improve and modernize water systems in the decades ahead?

While these workforce trends are concerning, they also highlight an important opportunity. Each year at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, I meet students who are applying science, technology and creativity to solve real water challenges in their communities. Their work is a reminder that the next generation of water leaders is already emerging and developing many of the skills utilities will need in the years ahead.

Why does the workforce transition matter now?

When experienced operators retire, they take decades of institutional knowledge with them. Much of that expertise does not exist in manuals or training guides. It comes from understanding how systems respond during droughts, floods, power outages, treatment upsets and infrastructure failures. When that knowledge leaves without being transferred, utilities can face slower response times, operational inefficiencies and greater compliance risk.

At the same time, the nature of water operations is changing. Today's utilities increasingly rely on connected infrastructure, smart sensors, predictive analytics, remote monitoring platforms and advanced automation. The next generation of water professionals will need to understand both the physical systems that move and treat water and the digital technologies that help optimize performance. Workforce development and digital transformation are becoming deeply connected. A utility's ability to modernize increasingly depends on its ability to attract, develop and retain talent with both operational and digital skills.

How are future water leaders helping utilities prepare?

One reason for optimism is that future water leaders are already developing the skills utilities will need to navigate an increasingly digital and complex operating environment.

For nearly three decades, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize has brought together students from around the world who are tackling water challenges in their own communities. Each year, young innovators aged 15 to 20 apply scientific thinking, digital tools and local knowledge to problems ranging from flooding and water quality to scarcity and resilience.

Every time I come to Stockholm, I think I've seen the best these young people can do, and every year they raise the bar. We're seeing finalists tackle scarcity, water quality and resilience not as abstract concepts, but as problems they've decided to solve.

What continues to impress me most is that these students are not waiting for someone else to solve these challenges. They are identifying problems in their own communities, building solutions and testing new ideas with a level of curiosity and determination that mirrors the mindset we need across the water sector.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize winner, Moroti Adegboyega of Canada, developed Ecoferroquatics, an autonomous platform that uses artificial intelligence, magnets and a custom assisted collection system to identify and remove plastic pollution from water while minimizing harm to aquatic life. In testing, the system outperformed conventional sieve-based approaches when capturing microplastic-scale particles, demonstrating how emerging technologies can help address growing environmental challenges.

Other recent winners show a similar blend of innovation and community impact. Jana Spiller and Niklas Ruf from Germany created WarnMe, an open-source flood warning system for small streams after repeated flooding affected their hometown. Their solution combines local monitoring data and digital technology to help communities improve preparedness and response. Meanwhile, Annabelle Rayson, winner of the 2022 Stockholm Junior Water Prize, researched ways to treat and prevent harmful algal blooms that threaten drinking water sources and aquatic ecosystems. She later became a Xylem intern, crediting the Prize with opening doors to research opportunities and an international network of peers and mentors.

This is one reason Xylem has proudly supported the Stockholm Junior Water Prize for nearly three decades. The program does more than recognize innovation. It helps inspire future scientists, engineers and water professionals while creating pathways for young people to contribute to solving some of the world's most pressing water challenges.

What connects these projects is more than innovation. They reflect the blend of technical, digital and problem-solving skills utilities increasingly need to manage more complex water systems. They are also reminders that future water leaders are already developing solutions to challenges the sector faces every day.

What can utilities do to build a future-ready workforce?

Preparing for the future requires more than replacing retiring workers. It requires building pathways that connect young people to meaningful careers in water.

Many utilities are expanding internships, apprenticeships, mentorship programs and partnerships with schools and universities. These programs serve two purposes. They help transfer institutional knowledge from experienced professionals while creating opportunities for younger workers to build technical and digital skills. They also help utilities establish a stronger talent pipeline at a time when competition for skilled workers is increasing across industries.

Equally important, these efforts help ensure utilities have the workforce needed to adopt new technologies successfully. Digital transformation depends not only on investing in tools, but also on investing in the people who can use them effectively.

What will define the next generation of water leadership?

The water sector is moving from reactive management to more intelligent, connected operations. Utilities are increasingly expected to anticipate disruptions rather than simply respond to them. From extreme weather and aging infrastructure to emerging contaminants and digital technologies, the challenges ahead will require new skills, new perspectives and new ways of thinking.

The utilities best positioned to adapt will be those that treat workforce development as a strategic priority alongside infrastructure investment. Long-term resilience will depend not only on the assets utilities build, but also on the people prepared to operate, improve and reimagine them.

Building the next generation of water leadership

The next generation is not waiting to be invited. Around the world, young innovators are already developing solutions to flooding, water quality, scarcity and resilience challenges in their communities. The question is whether the water sector can create the pathways needed to connect that talent to the opportunities ahead.

After spending time with this year's finalists in Stockholm, I am optimistic about the future of water. The next generation of water leaders is already demonstrating the creativity, technical expertise and commitment needed to address complex challenges, from flood resilience and water quality to pollution and water scarcity.

Our responsibility as an industry is to create the opportunities, mentorships and career pathways that allow that talent to thrive. By investing in people alongside infrastructure and technology, we can help ensure communities have the resilient water systems and strong leadership they will depend on for decades to come.

Frequently asked questions

Why does investing in future water leaders matter now? Water utilities face significant workforce challenges as experienced operators retire and demand for new technical and digital skills grows. Investing in future water leaders helps utilities maintain operational resilience, preserve institutional knowledge and prepare for continued modernization.

How can utilities attract the next generation of water professionals? Utilities can build talent pipelines through partnerships with schools, trade programs, universities, internships, apprenticeships and mentorship opportunities that expose young people to meaningful careers in water.

Why are water utilities facing workforce challenges? Water utilities are managing a significant workforce transition as experienced operators retire and demand grows for technical, operational and digital skills. In the United States, AWWA's 2025 benchmarking survey found that 21% of utility employees are eligible to retire within five years. Similar concerns are emerging across Europe, where EurEau has identified an ageing workforce as a growing challenge for water service providers as they modernize infrastructure, respond to climate pressures and meet increasing service expectations. These trends are increasing the need for knowledge transfer, workforce development and stronger talent pipelines across the sector.

What is the Stockholm Junior Water Prize? The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is an international competition organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute for students aged 15 to 20 who develop projects that address water challenges. The program draws participants from approximately 40 countries and has been supported by Xylem as a global founding sponsor for nearly three decades.