Organizational Awards
These awards are dedicated to celebrating organizations leading the way with creative One Water solutions and driving a paradigm shift in how we view, value, and manage water in the United States. Those eligible for nomination include water utilities, businesses, agricultural organizations, environmental organizations, community-based organizations, research institutions, and others.
- Outstanding Public Sector Organization
- Outstanding Private Sector Organization
- Outstanding Nonprofit Organization
Individual Awards
Outstanding One Water Communication Award
Individuals eligible to be nominated include journalists and producers from mainstream media outlets and publications, authors, podcast hosts, and other communicators who focus on water issues. The Alliance will consider work from previous years if it influenced water issues such as legislation, or if it is part of an ongoing body of work. Past winners have raised awareness about underreported water access challenges, climate change, and water affordability.
Outstanding Rising One Water Leader Award
This award was created to recognize the talented rising water leaders at Alliance member organizations who are shaping One Water management. The US Water Prize for Outstanding Rising One Water Leader will honor a water professional who has demonstrated one or more of the six essential capacities for One Water Change Leadership: vision-setting, shaping culture, possibility thinking, innovation, trust-building and collaboration, and adaptive learning. Mid-career professionals employed at Alliance member organizations who pursue One Water approaches in their work are eligible for nomination.
Outstanding Artist Award
The US Water Prize for Outstanding Artist will honor an artist or culture bearer that has used artistic interventions or creative practices to center water issues, management, infrastructure, or communicate the value of water in their work. Artists or culture-bearers that align their work with social and public needs in a way that advances an equitable and sustainable water future are eligible for nomination. Teams of artists are also eligible to be nominated. Organizations are not eligible for nomination, but individual teams belonging to the same organization working on specific, relevant work can be nominated.
Outstanding Public Official Award
The US Water Prize for Outstanding Public Official honors an individual who has championed water policy in their public agenda, inspiring leadership and action to overcome water sector challenges. Individuals eligible to be nominated include public officials at every level of government including mayors, city managers, city council members, governors, state legislators, representatives of tribal governments, members of Congress, and more.
Outstanding Water Workforce Member Award
Our nation’s water utility workforce serves communities, supports environmental health, and is essential to thriving local economies. The Outstanding Water Workforce nominee will be employed full-time at a water utility of any size in a position that supports delivery of water, wastewater, or stormwater services to customers, from field repairs to customer engagement and everything in between. The nominator will be asked to describe what makes the nominee an outstanding member of the water workforce, including one or more of the following: deep connection to the community which the water utility serves; compelling training and employment journey into the water utility workforce; deep understanding of water treatment and distribution systems; strong technical skills; a commitment to safety and environmental regulations; excellent problem-solving abilities; a collaborative approach to teamwork; innovative problem solving; and/or a passion for ensuring their community has access to clean, reliable water services.
Winners are chosen by an independent review panel of water experts. Any questions about US Water Prize or the nomination process can be directed to waterprize@uswateralliance.org.
