Alexandria, Va. – September 21, 2026 -- The Water-AI NexusTM Center of Excellence marked its first anniversary by adding Veolia, WaterISAC, the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturer's Association, and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to its Advisory Council, bringing the total of 2026 additions to 20 organizations.
The Center was founded by the Water Environment Federation (WEF), Amazon, The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and Leading Utilities of the World to address competing pressures between AI infrastructure water demand and municipal utility resilience.
Advisory Council now spans hyperscalers, engineering firms and municipal utilities
The 2026 cohort unites technology companies, engineering firms, academic researchers, and water advocates alongside volunteers from the WEF community. Ralph Exton, WEF's Executive Director, said the Center has focused on delivering practical tools, including data center guidelines and free operator AI training, and that the Advisory Council will now be leveraged to keep water professionals central to AI policy discussions.
Center publishes two insight reports and a CEU-accredited training course
Since launch, the Center has released "Principles for Sustainable Water Use by Data Centers,