“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Aldo Leopold
How will the engineering community adapt to the rapidly changing world of water management? Are we content to keep responding incrementally or will we rise to the challenge of fundamentally rethinking how we engage with water? How can a new water ethic be part of a national movement driven by local solutions? Those were the questions posed by Dave White of Arizona State University and Sarah Robinson of the U.S. Water Alliance as they kicked off the April 8 virtual preview portion of Engineering Change Lab – USA’s (ECL) Envisioning a New Water Ethic for the Engineering Community Summit.
White and Robinson’s provocations confirmed ECL’s premise for the summit – that climate change, population and economic growth, equity concerns, and new demands from emerging technologies, as well as legacy issues flowing from past infrastructure failures and shortcomings are transforming society’s ability to satisfy fundamental needs for clean water and sanitation. Their presentations also offered insights into what author Peter Gleick calls “The Third Age of Water.” This “new age” presents a pressing obligation for the engineering community to fully manifest its commitment to a new “water ethic” as guidance for its stewardship of this vital natural resource on behalf of society.
White, who is Director of the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at ASU, described his view of the new water ethic as one that “prioritizes sustainability, adaptability, foresight, and equity.” The question of a new water ethic is not abstract, but rather leads to answers that will shape lives, economics, ecosystems, and our future. He outlined three key strategies that the engineering community will need to embrace as part of this new ethic.
- Improved integration of social science and engineering in water management. White characterized this strategy as a shift from the historical technical perspective of the engineering community to new approaches that require addressing political, social, cultural, and economic factors. He cited the City of Phoenix’ path to successful implementation of advanced water purification which incorporated innovative approaches to public engagement and trust-building through immersive virtual reality and maker space experiences as an example of this strategy.
- Necessity of enhanced collaboration between the engineering community, researchers, policy makers, and the public. White described the Arizona Water Observatory as an example of this collaboration. The observatory is founded on a visualization platform based on accurate, real-time hydrologic data. The observatory’s comprehensive, evidence-based experience fosters a shared understanding among stakeholders of Arizona’s water conditions and produces scientifically sound and equitable decisions.
- Transformative adaptation to address climate and water-related challenges. White stressed that the pace of change in natural and social systems is accelerating, and that historical, incremental changes are not sufficient. He described the need for the engineering community to think ahead and embrace uncertainty, and, in so doing, to reimagine systems and design infrastructure that is flexible and adaptable.
Sarah Robinson, who is Senior Program Manager, at the U.S. Water Alliance, described their growing One Water Movement. According to Robinson, the One Water Movement is a response to today’s complex water-related challenges – aging infrastructure; poor water quality; extreme weather; growing population in some areas and declining population in other areas; and competing water needs between urban, rural, and industrial users and the natural environment. One Water is a transformative way of viewing, valuing, and thinking about water. This new mindset means managing all water in a collaborative, integrated, inclusive, and holistic manner. She described the hallmarks of One Water.
- A mindset that all water has value.
- Focus on achieving multiple benefits.
- Systems approach.
- Right-sized solutions.
- Inclusion and engagement of all.
- Long-term perspective (75 to 100 years).
Robinson outlined One Water strategies in six different areas that recognize and reflect the connectedness of systems.
- Reliable and resilient water utilities.
- Thriving places.
- Competitive business and industry.
- Sustainable agricultural systems.
- Social and economic inclusion.
- Healthy watersheds.
She offered examples of entities that have embraced One Water as a guiding philosophy for their long-term water planning efforts, such as Tucson One Water 2100 and Austin Water Forward. She also related the results of their 2025 Value of Water Poll Takeaways, one key takeaway being that most of their network members are still only in a pre-awareness stage. She also invited participants to check out their Water Equity Network and to consider attending the 2025 One Water Summit.
Virtual Preview participants then engaged in a group exercise around the theme of the entire summit, Envisioning a New Water Ethic for the Engineering Community. Participants reflected individually on their past experiences with both success stories of water engineering and problematic unintended consequences, failures, and/or bad outcomes of water engineering. After sharing individual reflections in small groups, participants then explored possibilities for a new water ethic using the following prompts:
- What beliefs, values, and/or mindsets will the engineering community need to “let go of” or reconsider as we enter the Third Age of Water?
- What beliefs, values, and/or mindsets will the engineering community need to express more fully as we enter the Third Age of Water?
Highlights from the discussion are noted below.
|
Beliefs, Values, Mindsets to Let Go Of |
Beliefs, Values, Mindsets to Express More Fully |
| Hyperfocus on a singular issue or “project.” | Long-term, futurist mindset. |
| Short-term, lowest cost or budgets based on short-term thinking. | Community-driven solutions. |
| Belief that technology can solve everything. | Embracing new concepts (OK to be first). |
| “We have always done it this way” mindset. | Engaging stakeholders as partners. |
| Water is an endless resource available to support growth. | Greater knowledge of social sciences. |
| Overly cautious of risk and litigation. | Greater commitment to involvement in public policy. |
| Regulatory mindset – do not let regulations limit our thinking. | Regional impacts and approaches. |
| Adherence to a “limited” scope of work that hinders creative thinking. | Greater focus on maintenance of existing infrastructure. |
| Approaches that treat water domains (wastewater, drinking water, stormwater) as separate. | Inclusivity – water for all. |
| Politicization of the natural environment. | Collaboration and relationship-building to overcome polarization. |
| Viewing water as something you can own. | Work with the natural environment rather than trying to control it. |
| Because we can, we should. | Including environmental economics into budget analyses. |
| “Control” is paramount. | Designing for adaptability for future generations. |
| Adopting Native American mindsets on the value of the natural environment. | |
| Systems perspective. | |
| Accepting that all water has value. |
We are looking forward to continuing this exploration of a new water ethic at the in-person portion of the summit on May 6 & 7 at Arizona State University. Key imperatives that will be explored at the in-person summit include:
- Catalyzing a shift toward a “water conscious culture.” Making water more “visible” and fostering water stewardship.
- Recognizing the “true value (cost) of water.” Moving beyond traditional beneficial use metrics.
- Prioritizing water insecurity and the needs of underserved communities. Addressing affordability challenges and disconnects in funding.
The latest information on the in-person summit is available on the ECL website at this link. There is still plenty of time to register. We invite you to join us in our exploration of this important facet of the future of the engineering community.
Provocateur presentations and the recording of the virtual preview are available at the Events Page of ECL’s website.
