The Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence is a first-of-its kind initiative to address water sustainability in AI development while harnessing AI to solve critical water challenges.
WHAT IS THE WATER-AI NEXUS?
Founded by the Water Environment Federation (WEF), Amazon, The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and Leading Utilities of the World, the Water-AI Nexus serves as a global hub for knowledge, collaboration, and innovation. It unites leaders in utilities, technology, academia, and finance to accelerate sustainable water management practices while enabling responsible technological advancements.
Our mission
We believe that sustainable water management and digital infrastructure can reinforce each other for good. Our focus is a dual mission:
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
Objectives
The Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence connects water utilities with artificial intelligence experts to:
Lead and convene research at the intersection of water and AI
Bring together global leaders in utilities, technology, academia, and finance to advance open-access knowledge of applications for AI in water management
Advance AI-powered community water solutions
Leverage AI tools to co-develop sustainable water management solutions with local communities, ensuring technology reflects local priorities, knowledge, and equity principles
Empower the next generation of water leaders in the AI era
Mentor students, early-career professionals, and community members in AI-enabled water science and decision-making
The Center of Excellence enables water professionals, AI developers, researchers, and government officials to share knowledge and collaborate on solutions that benefit both the water and technology sectors and the communities they serve.
Featured Highlights
This episode of "Earth with John Holden" introduces viewers to WEF’s launch of the Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence, a global hub where water and artificial intelligence meet to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges.
The Water-AI Nexus Theater opens with a media briefing featuring the founding leaders who are shaping the future of water and technology collaboration.
Join leaders from Amazon, Loudoun Water, and Imagine H2O for the debut of Earth TV—a new storytelling platform showcasing how AI and data are reshaping water infrastructure and climate resilience.
Data centers play a critical role in powering the AI revolution—but their water use must be managed responsibly.
FAQ
1. What is the role of each of the founding leaders?
WEF, Amazon, The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and Leading Utilities of the World collaborated to launch the Center of Excellence to develop sustainable water management practices for AI infrastructure while also using AI to solve global water challenges. This knowledge hub at the critical confluence of water and AI brings together water utilities, technology companies, and researchers to address the complex relationship between digital infrastructure and water sustainability.
- WEF convenes voices in Water and AI to advance water sector resilience and innovation, and provides water professionals the latest in education, training, and best practices.
- Amazon brings cloud and AI expertise to support scalable, data-driven solutions, and give tangible examples of how data center development can occur sustainably.
- The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania contributes academic rigor, research leadership, and policy insight for both water and artificial intelligence.
- Leading Utilities of the World provides real-world utility perspectives and helps shape practical applications from a global perspective.
2. What does investment in the Water-AI Nexus entail?
Founding leaders are mission-aligned organizations that make a multi-year commitment to help support the water sustainability goals and impact of the Center of Excellence. Their investment and thought leadership support the development of tools, research, and convenings that strengthen the water sector’s ability to safely and sustainably operate in the AI economy.
3. How does the Center of Excellence address local water and energy concerns?
The Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence promotes collaboration between tech players, utilities, and industry to develop water sustainability solutions that respond to community-level challenges in water and energy consumption. This helps ensure that global innovation is locally relevant and sustainable.
4. What is the most pressing issue that the Water-AI Nexus is trying to solve?
The Center of Excellence addresses the urgent need to align smart water management with the rapid growth of AI and data infrastructure. This helps ensure that water resources are available, resilient, and equitably managed in a digital future.
5. How can I get involved?
There are many ways you and your organization can get involved with the Water-AI Nexus. Whether you’re interested in attending or speaking at events, shaping policy, advancing research, supporting corporate giving, exploring partnerships, or submitting an AI use case, we want to hear from you. Fill out this form to stay in touch with the Water-AI Nexus.