Global Water Center

09/29/2026

Collecting water quality data is only the beginning. What happens next is what makes it useful.

A new case study from the Technical Working Group for Sensor-Based Water Quality Monitoring explores what it takes to turn water quality monitoring into meaningful action, featuring work from Global Water Center, Water, , and .

The case study highlights GWC’s Risk-Based Water Quality Management and Monitoring course as a foundation for training and capacity building in water quality monitoring.

Our first cohort brought together 222 participants from 58 countries and 110 organizations. Participants highlighted how directly applicable the course content was to their work and how data-driven monitoring can inform better decisions.

A few lessons from the case study:
💧 Data collection is only the beginning: Safe water depends on the full cycle: Collect → Manage → Interpret → Report → Act → Improve.

💧 A phased approach helps: Breaking data use into immediate, short-term, and longer-term actions helps teams prioritize and avoid becoming overwhelmed.

💧 Challenges are predictable: Logistics, parameter selection, resources, and human capacity are common barriers. Planning for them early can make programs more resilient.

💧 People sustain the system: Effective monitoring requires the right skills, clear roles, ongoing training, and support over time. Capacity building can’t be a one-time workshop.

We’re grateful to contribute to this community of practice and to see the experiences of our first course cohort reflected in this case study.

Read the case study:

A specialized training program designed to teach professionals how to plan, conduct, and analyze sanitary inspections and water assessment

09/24/2026

What happens after training ends?

A WASH professional can complete a training, demonstrate the skills successfully, and return to work with a clear understanding of what to do.

And yet, months later, the new practice may not have taken hold.

Research on training transfer helps explain why. Whether learning gets used depends on more than the learner and the training itself. The environment people return to plays a critical role.

For WASH professionals, that environment can be very practical:
• Do they have opportunities to practice what they learned?
• Do they have the time, tools, and authority to act?
• Do supervisors and peers reinforce the new approach?
• Is support available when questions arise after the course ends?

These questions highlight an important distinction: delivering training is not the same as developing capacity.

At Global Water Center, we’re thinking beyond the classroom, from continued support for course participants to working at organizational and governmental levels to strengthen the systems and conditions that enable people to apply what they’ve learned.

Our goal is to help water professionals turn learning into practice, and practice into lasting change.

❓ For those working in WASH: What helps new skills and practices actually stick after training ends?

We’d love to hear what's worked for you!

09/22/2026

We're glad to be at the Majipreneurs Summit in Uganda this week, connecting with people working to expand access to safe water across the country.

TJ Askew, Carbon Program Associate with Carbon for Safe Water, will be there representing our team and working to expand the impact of the Carbon Aggregator Platform (CAP).

CAP expands the accessibility of carbon finance by bringing a group of safe water providers under one platform, cutting per-partner costs, reducing technical burden, and improving sector knowledge-sharing.

There’s a lot happening in Uganda’s water sector, and we’re glad to be part of the conversation.

Reach out to TJ or connect with him while he's there to learn more.

09/18/2026

We’re all working on water. Why aren’t we working together?

That’s the question Katrina Straker, Global Water Center’s new Senior Director of External Relationships, will explore next week in New York.

Katrina will join fellow leaders at The Sidebar, an open community space designed to help people connect, converse, and collaborate.

Taking place alongside the UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, this year’s conversations are centered on Energy, Impact, and Action, with a focus on how climate solutions connect to economic growth, security, policy, and the decisions shaping our future.

For GWC, it’s a chance to build relationships across sectors and bring practical water expertise into broader conversations shaping our future.

And for Katrina, it’s a fitting first step in her new role: Connecting GWC with the people and ideas that can help safe water reach further and endure.

📍 The Sidebar, 134 W 29th St, New York
📅 Tuesday, September 22
🕧 12:30–2:00 p.m.

If you’ll be in New York, come join Katrina and others for the conversation.

09/17/2026

Sometimes, the simplest things can remind us why this work matters. For Peg Nichols, it was a back-to-school water bottle.

Peg's daughter had a very specific back-to-school request: an orange Owala water bottle. She already has a perfectly good Stanley, but apparently seventh grade calls for an Owala.

As a mom, Peg wants her daughter to enjoy the little things that make her happy and help her fit in.

At the same time, she knows that millions of girls her age risk their health and safety traveling long distances to collect water each morning. Gathering water can mean missing school and losing opportunities to learn and build a different future.

That contrast is a powerful reminder of why safe water matters.

As Peg writes, “While I buy this year’s must-have water bottle, I am also working to make safe water accessible to every family, everywhere.”

We’re grateful to have Peg on our team, helping advance the work toward a world where every girl has safe water, the chance to stay in school, and the freedom to dream about her future.

09/15/2026

What does Global Water Center’s impact look like at scale?

In 2025 alone:

🌍 33,750+ communities served
💧 3,640+ water systems designed, installed, or improved
👥 More than 12 million people reached with improved water access

These numbers represent water systems that can serve communities, professionals equipped to solve problems, and the local capacity needed to keep progress going.

They reflect the work of water professionals, partners, and communities around the world who are building stronger systems and expanding access to safe water.

Explore the Summer Impact Report to see more of the story behind the numbers:

Summer Impact Report 2026

09/10/2026

Behind every functioning water system is a person with the skills to design it, repair it, manage it, and keep it running.

Our latest Impact Report shares data from more than 400 Global Water Center course participants across 50+ countries.

The results:
💧 93% are applying what they learned on the job
💧 97% report more resilient water systems
💧 In 2025 alone, GWC graduates went on to train more than 8,400 colleagues

And behind every number is something tangible: a functioning tap, a repaired pump, a school with reliable water, or a community with safer water.

Read the Summer Impact Report to learn more:

Summer Impact Report 2026

09/03/2026

Collaboration is at the heart of Global Water Center’s work.

Last year, we brought water professionals together in Charleston for our first Global Water Gathering. This August, we continued that conversation in Kigali, Rwanda, bringing together 120 water and sanitation professionals from across Africa and beyond.

Global Water Gathering: Kigali was held alongside the Africa Water & Sanitation Systems Leadership Symposium and created space for people to connect, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities to work together.

The gathering featured a presentation from Dr. Rose Kaggwa of Uganda’s National Water and Sewerage Corporation and the African Water and Sanitation Academy, as well as conversations designed to help participants learn from one another.

One question invited participants to turn to someone they did not already know:

How do you build the knowledge and skills of people in your organization?

It was a simple question with a powerful message: Building strong water systems requires collaboration. It requires sharing knowledge, learning from one another, building relationships, and bringing different perspectives and expertise to the table.

That’s why we gather.

From Charleston to Kigali and wherever the next Global Water Gathering takes us, we’re committed to creating spaces where people can connect, collaborate, and strengthen the water sector together.

Read the story from Kigali: https://globalwatercenter.org/global-water-gathering-kigali/

09/01/2026

Five Global Water Center team members traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, this August to participate in the Africa Water & Sanitation Systems Leadership Symposium.

The symposium focused on four interconnected pillars: leadership, regulation and accountability, professionalization, and strategic public finance. Together, these areas provide the foundation for stronger, more sustainable water and sanitation services.

GWC Senior Technical Advisor Kogi Chege reflected on the conversations in Kigali:
“At the heart of the symposium was a call to move beyond viewing infrastructure — whether for water or sanitation — as merely a means to an end. Instead, participants were invited to consider infrastructure as part of a living system, one that requires deep understanding to function sustainably in improving lives and as an economic enabler.”

The message from Kigali was clear: sustainable water and sanitation requires strong systems, capable people, accountable institutions, and leaders willing to drive transformation.

We’re proud to be part of that work, equipping water professionals with the knowledge, skills, and connections they need to strengthen the systems that serve their communities.

08/24/2026

There’s something powerful about having people from around the world come together in one place to talk about water.

At Stockholm World Water Week, conversations span countries, disciplines, and perspectives, but they all point toward the same challenge: How do we create a water-secure future for everyone?

We’re especially looking forward to seeing our own Eileen Jarnholt share her expertise in “From Hidden Resource to Improved Livelihoods: Groundwater for Africa’s Future.”

📅 Tuesday, August 25, 2026
🕘 9:00–10:30 AM
📍 A2, Level 6