ABOUT THE INTERNET OF WATER PROJECT
The Internet of Water envisions a world engaged in sustainable water resource management and stewardship enabled by open, shared, and integrated water data and information.

The Internet of Water is building a dynamic and voluntary network of communities and institutions to connect data producers, hubs, and users to enable the discovery, accessibility, and usability of water data and information.
Greetings from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Internet of Water network! No matter what your interest in water or water data, we are glad to have you involved. The Internet of Water (IoW) is a vast yet simple idea: water challenges are large and growing, and everyone can benefit from better access to water data. Why is it easier to find a video of kittens going down a slide than it is to find out about your local stream? The challenge is first societal, then technical.

People and institutions have to agree to share, exchange, and manage water data in a more open, modern way before meaningful technical investments can be made. First the community must wrestle with and agree on common definitions and goals for sharing water data.

The IoW intends to demonstrate the value of open, FAIR ( F indable, A ccessible, I nteroperable [does it work with my stuff], and R eusable) water data to help communities address water problems, gain new insights about their water resources, and ultimately, for both communities and ecosystems to thrive through sustainable water resource management and stewardship.

Join us! Sign up to receive our newsletter , and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, or ideas. We welcome them all!

Best,
Peter Colohan
The History of the Internet of Water
In 2017, the Aspen Institute collaborated with Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and Redstone Strategy Group to convene a dialogue with diverse stakeholders (utility managers, agricultural producers, software developers, and representatives of public sector agencies and nongovernmental organizations) to discuss what barriers exist and what steps are needed to improve the nation’s water data infrastructure. That dialogue led to the 2017 report, " Internet of Water: Sharing and Integrating Water Data for Sustainability ," a bold vision for how to improve water data infrastructure nationwide to fundamentally transform water management. This idea sparked the imaginations of several philanthropic foundations, which stepped in to fund the Internet of Water project beginning in 2018. The IoW is managed by a small Duke start-up team working to realize the project's vision and mission. By 2021, the IoW aims to be a self-sustaining network supported by an independent organization.
Upcoming Events
The IoW Start-Up team has been forming close partnerships with the Western States Water Council, state agencies in New Mexico and California, and the California-based Water Foundation to begin pilot activities in the West. The IoW will be participating in these open water data events:
  • New Mexico Water Data Act Collaboration Meetings, May 7–8, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Open Water CA 2019: Innovating through Integrating and Expanding the Water Data Community, July 1–2, Sacramento, California.

IoW partner CUAHSI (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc.) will host its conference, “ Hydroinformatics for Scientific Knowledge, Informed Policy, and Effective Response ,” July 29–31, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

WSWC 2019 Water Information Management System (WIMS) Workshop/USGS Water Use Collaboration, Sept. 16–19, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Recent Publications & News