Aging infrastructure and climate disruptions are keeping water professionals up at night as external stressors increasingly affect the water supply, the American Water Works Association’s 2026 State of the Water Industry report found. The more than 2,100 water professionals who took part in the annual AWWA survey rank the water industry’s current health at an average of 4.72 on a scale of 1 to 7, which is largely consistent with the survey’s 23-year history. But their prediction about the industry’s health in five years is 4.53 — the lowest it’s been in eight years. “External pressures — from global supply chains to extreme weather — are now part of the everyday operating environment for utilities,” AWWA President Brent Tippey states in the report. “We need strategic foresight, supportive policy, and innovations that help utilities maintain reliability even when conditions shift overnight.” The sector’s ability to confront gaps in climate resilience, digital modernization and sustainability frameworks will be essential in coming years, according to the report. Half of respondents say they’re very or fully prepared for long-term water supply needs — a 5 percentage point drop from the previous year — while 16% say they’re not at all prepared for long-term demands. Eleven percent of respondents report their water supply experiences frequent or chronic stress, and one-third indicate that “an increase in withdrawal or a decrease in supply could result in difficulties providing drinking water,” the report states. “Planning for long-term water security has never been more challenging. Uncertainty is increasing from things like accelerating climate variability and the rapid expansion of tech-based industries,” T.J. Stroebl, market development leader at Kurita America and the next AWWA president, states in the report. “The future is a moving target and hitting it will require more resilient strategies that allow for pivoting on shorter