Donohue’s Susan Wojtkiewicz, PE recently presented “Alliance for Water Stewardship: Stewardship in Wisconsin and Around the Globe” at the Wisconsin Section AWWA Annual Meeting. The presentation covered the key elements of the Alliance for Water Stewardship system and provided an overview of the AWS organization including its global context. Susan shared her experience in completing the AWS standard training and how the AWS standard and principles have guided her approach to water development and management in Wisconsin and other Midwestern states.

The AWS International Water Stewardship Standard is an international, ISEAL-compliant, standard that defines a set of water stewardship criteria and indicators for how water should be managed at a site and within the watershed in a way that is environmentally, socially, and economically beneficial. Susan’s presentation explains the reasons for a water stewardship standard:

• Fill a gap – no other comprehensive water use standard exists
• Establish global consistency
• Drive transparency 
• Engage diverse stakeholders
• Provide credible recognition
• Connect global with local

As a result of Susan’s AWS training, she has a new context for water stewardship. For example, while in the United States we have comprehensive regulations for management of water resources, the AWS standard recognizes that regulations do not exist everywhere on the globe. The training has also resulted in Susan considering stakeholder and leadership involvement in water stewardship and development of water.