Climate-resilient water utilities are an essential part of strong communities. WUCA strives to advance water utility climate adaptation so that communities can thrive in a changing world Collaboratively advancing water utility climate change adaptation Mission Climate-resilient water utilities supporting thriving communities Vision Contact Us Latest reports from WUCA Help your utility prepare for climate change Warming is here and now. Climate adaptation planning is not just about the future. Water utilities are experiencing the effects of a changing climate on their water resources today. Know your system and explore its vulnerabilities. Assess your water system to identify vulnerabilities. Risks can only be reduced if they are identified. Plan for multiple futures. Predicting the future is not feasible but anticipating plausible warmer future climates is. Prepare to face a variety of scenarios. Capacity building and assessment are part of the adaptation equation. Developing the technical and managerial expertise to identify and assess climate risks to a system is as much a part of adaptation as the steps taken to implement risk reduction measures. Sign up for email updates We'll keep you in the loop about upcoming webinars, case studies, and opportunities to participate Name Organization Email Sign Me Up Thanks for submitting! We'll be in touch.

Focus Areas Click a focus area below to expand Understanding Climate Modeling and Uncertainty Proceedings of the Water Utility Climate Alliance Piloting Utility Modeling Applications (PUMA) Workshop (2010) CMIP6 FAQ for Water Managers (2025) The Influence of Downscaling on Climate Projections (2024) Improving the Vegetation Representation in Hydrologic Models Alters Hydroclimate Projections (2023) Scaling and Application of Climate Projections to Stormwater and Wastewater Resilience Planning (2022) Co-Producing Actionable Science for Water Utilities (2016) Understanding Climate Risks Planning for Adaptation and Resilience Implementing Climate Projects Training Water Utilities for Climate Readiness Developing Additional Resources and Presentations

Climate change is affecting the water sector by altering the water cycle and weather patterns. Extreme events such as droughts, heatwaves, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires are increasing in severity and frequency, posing critical risks to drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities. The Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) advances climate change adaptation, planning, and decision-making to ensure that water utilities, and the communities they serve, can thrive in the face of these emerging challenges.  WUCA leverages collective utility experiences to develop leading practices in climate change adaptation and mitigation that are actionable, equitable, and serve as a model for others.We collaborate, with each other and our partners, to enable water utilities to respond to climate change impacts on utility functions and operations to protect our water systems today and into the future. 2026 Work Plan 2025 Annual Report 2022-2026 Strategic Plan Member Utilities Austin Water Central Arizona Project Denver Water El Paso Water Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Metropolitan Water District of Southern California New York City Department of Environmental Protection Philadelphia Water Department Portland Water Bureau San Diego County Water Authority San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Seattle Public Utilities Southern Nevada Water Authority Tampa Bay Water Leadership Executive Chair: Alan Salazar, Denver Water Executive Vice-Chair: Andrew Lee, Seattle Public Utilities Staff Chair: Taylor Winchell, Denver Water Staff Vice Chair: Ann Grodnik-Nagle Seattle Public Utilities History In January 2007, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission hosted the first national Water Utility Climate Change Summit, which was attended by more than 200 water and wastewater utility executives, government officials, climate change experts and environmental leaders. The purpose of the gathering was to help participants better understand the impacts of climate change on water-related infrastructure and water resource supplies. Shortly after the summit, the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) was formed to provide leadership and collaboration on climate change issues affecting the country's water agencies. Today, the organization comprises 14 of the nation's largest water providers. WUCA members supply drinking water for more than 50 million people throughout the United States.

Sea Level Rise Adaptation As the atmosphere warms due to climate change, there is a direct impact on the hydrologic cycle, thus creating unique challenges for the water sector. The effects of sea level rise and other associated coastal changes (e.g., storm surge, erosion, and flooding) have already had a wide range of impacts on coastal communities, and climate change will only exacerbate these challenges in the future. The hardships brought on by climate change are forcing a paradigm shift for decision-making in the water sector as practitioners seek to implement options to avoid, minimize, mitigate, and/or recover from the effects of these climate-driven impacts—an effort collectively known as adaptation. This guide is intended to provide tangible, replicable practices to help water utility staff and water resource managers advance adaptation efforts in the face of climate change. Sea level rise adaptation is context-specific (e.g., by location, by asset, and by system), and while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to adaptation, there are principles—or leading practices—that may help water sector practitioners move towards on-the-ground implementation. In this guide, implementation is defined as the process of making something active or effective that advances adaptation to sea level rise in a concrete way. This implies progress beyond understanding and assessing risk to executing policies (e.g., updated design standards), projects (e.g., building a desalination plant), process changes, or programs that proactively take action to boost resilience to climate impacts in the coastal zone (e.g., capacity building). Read the Report How to Use This Guide Water utilities and wholesale water providers do not function in a silo, and adaptation processes—from engagement to monitoring and evaluation of implemented strategies—must be coordinated with other municipal sectors and landowners, local organizations, tribal nations, community members, regional planning bodies, regulators, and all levels of government. Acknowledging this necessary coordination, this guide was developed with input from stakeholders in multiple sectors. Likewise, many of the leading practices and tools may be applicable beyond the water sector. However, leading practices particularly relevant to this field were chosen for inclusion, and it was developed from the water sector perspective with that audience in mind. It is meant to help other water utilities and resource managers begin implementing actions to adapt to sea level rise. This guide does: Provide a high-level overview of the general steps required to initiate sea level rise adaptation and includes resources and tools to support each step Detail the most frequent challenges encountered when reaching the point of implementation Suggest solutions based on leading practices for overcoming barriers, using real-life examples when possible This guide does not: Provide a detailed roadmap with all the necessary steps to achieve sea level rise adaptation Provide a deep dive into the technical aspects of sea level rise, such as the science behind projections, working with tide level data, or risk assessment methods Examine every aspect of how sea level rise and related issues may potentially affect your water utility or your geographic location Provide a step-by-step adaptation plan and strategy for specific utility assets or system types Overarching Themes Think big and outside the box . As our climate continues to change, we, as water utilities, must continue pushing the boundaries and strive for innovation. The status quo is not adequate. To truly address the magnitude of the climate crisis, we need to think creatively, beyond traditional solutions. Collaborate across siloes with a diverse set of stakeholders. Many of the leading practices highlighted here cannot be implemented by the water sector alone. Strong partnerships with other government agencies, stakeholders, and community members provide a space to include new voices to develop creative, effective, large-scale adaptation projects that address multiple issues and leverage resources. Incorporate flexibility and iteration in your adaptation planning and implementation. Adaptation planning to implementation is not a one-and-done process. With ever-changing information and considerable uncertainty, adaptation strategies must remain flexible and be re-evaluated often. The case studies highlighted in this guide often demonstrate where flexibility in the planning process can pay off in the long run by avoiding overinvestments. The ability to pivot as new information and resources become available can serve utilities well throughout the adaptation process. Consider all planning and decisions through an equity and environmental justice lens. Flooding hazards and the underlying causes of their disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations pose one of the biggest environmental justice challenges of our time. The climate crisis continues to exacerbate social inequities across our cities and communities, making them inextricably linked. Equitable, co-produced adaptation solutions are vital to ensuring our actions protect—and do not inadvertently harm—the communities we serve. Many of the leading practices in this guide touch upon equity and community engagement, yet it falls short of comprehensively viewing solutions through an equity lens. Going forward, we must shift our thinking to consider water and climate equity in everything we do.

As a Climate Change Nonprofit organization, WUCA is committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. We strive to make our site user-friendly and inclusive for all visitors, in line with the relevant accessibility guidelines and standards. If you encounter any accessibility issues or require assistance while using our website, please do not hesitate to contact our accessibility coordinator for prompt support. ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT This statement reflects our ongoing efforts to prioritize accessibility and was last updated on [enter relevant date]. At The Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA), we are dedicated to making our website, [enter site name and address], fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. Prioritizing Web Accessibility Web accessibility is fundamental to us. We are committed to ensuring that all visitors, including those with disabilities, can navigate and interact with our website with ease and enjoyment. This involves leveraging technology and adhering to the latest accessibility guidelines to create an inclusive online experience. Our Accessibility Commitment In line with the WCAG [2.0 / 2.1 / 2.2 - select relevant option] guidelines, we have implemented accessibility adjustments to achieve a level of [A / AA / AAA - select relevant option]. Our website is designed to be compatible with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard navigation. Our efforts include: Engaging the Accessibility Wizard to identify and address potential accessibility barriers Setting the language and content order of the site's pages Establishing clear heading structures across all pages Providing descriptive alternative text for images Ensuring sufficient color contrast for improved visibility Minimizing the use of motion to support individuals with sensitivities Ensuring accessibility of all multimedia and downloadable content Acknowledgment of Partial Compliance Please note that certain pages on our site may rely on third-party content, impacting their accessibility. These pages, including [list the URLs], are recognized as partially compliant with the standard due to this dependency. Commitment to Physical Accessibility At WUCA, we are not only dedicated to digital accessibility but also to physical accessibility in our offices and branches. This includes a range of accessibility arrangements to ensure that our physical spaces are fully inclusive and supportive of individuals with disabilities. Support and Feedback Your feedback is valuable to us. If you encounter any accessibility challenges while using our website or if you have any suggestions for improvement, please reach out to our accessibility coordinator: [Name of the accessibility coordinator] [Telephone number of the accessibility coordinator] [Email address of the accessibility coordinator] [Add any other relevant contact details if available]

Engage Well-thought-out communication and engagement plans result in more effective, successful, and supported adaptation. Climate adaptation often requires field building and change management. As such, engaging internal and external stakeholders (two-way communication, listening and sharing) to motivate action, connect with and support others, and develop climate messages can go a long way toward making your adaptation efforts successful. The following leading practices are in the action area of ENGAGE and are described below: Recognize many ways to motivate climate adaptation action Seek out and support climate champions throughout your utility (also in SUSTAIN ) Consult expertise throughout your utility regularly and with purpose Tailor the climate adaptation message for the intended audience Develop a climate communications plan Include equity from the beginning Make the business case for climate adaptation (also in SUSTAIN ) ENGAGE Recognize many ways to motivate climate adaptation action Many things can motivate investment in climate adaptation, including climate champions, natural disasters or crises, peer and public pressure, personnel changes, personal observations of change, and access to new knowledge. Leverage the motivational opportunities that fit your circumstances. Example: Simultaneous natural disasters in Colorado In 2002, Denver Water saw unprecedented simultaneous natural disasters in its watersheds. During the single worst one-year drought ever recorded in Colorado, the largest wildfire the state had ever seen occurred in one of its largest and hardest working watersheds. Just weeks after the fire was contained, a rainstorm brought sedimentation and debris into streams and reservoirs, significantly impacting water quality and reservoir capacity. Now, nearly two decades later, the watershed is still noticeably scarred, and the memory of the 2002 natural disasters is still very present. While climate change did not cause these disasters, science tells us that recent warming contributed to their impacts. Overall, the experience helped Denver Water understand the importance of addressing climate change challenges. Now, dedicated staff actively work to understand and prepare for changes that may dramatically impact Denver Water's system and business model, such as continued warming and extreme heat; intensified droughts, floods, and forest fires; and changes to snowpack, Denver Water's high-elevation supply source. Example: Droughts and floods in Texas Austin, Texas, is prone to frequent droughts often followed by intense rainy periods. The most recent drought (2008-2016) dropped water levels in area reservoirs to near-record lows and ultimately surpassed the severity of the 1950s' drought of record. In some areas, lake levels were so low that it became difficult to launch boats and enjoy other water-based activities. The drought and high temperatures also took a visible toll on landscapes and other vegetation. Then, in 2018, historic flooding brought massive amounts of silt and dirt—over 100 times the typical level—into Austin's drinking water supply. This impacted raw water quality and slowed treatment systems. To ensure adequate flows in case of fires, Austin Water issued the first system-wide boil water notice in its 100-year history. With climate change, the utility expects these types of events to become more frequent and severe. Austin's leadership has long acknowledged and addressed climate impacts in its water planning efforts. The public has benefited, especially in the context of recent events, building momentum for additional actions. Most recently, the Austin City Council adopted Water Forward, an integrated water resource plan, which used a regional water supply context to develop strategies to ensure a sustainable and resilient water future into the next century. This experience can also help the abstract concept of climate change become more concrete. Example: Collective action because of a summit In January 2007, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SF PUC) hosted the first national Water Utility Climate Change Summit, which was attended by more than 200 water and wastewater utility executives, government officials, climate change experts and environmental leaders. The purpose of the gathering was to help participants better understand the impacts of climate change on water-related infrastructure and water resource supplies. During that summit, utility leaders recognized the future risks and value a collective effort would bring to the climate adaptation conversation. As the summit drew to a close, SF PUC General Manager Susan Leal committed to fund an effort from the dais and issued a challenge to attendees. Turning to Metropolitan Water District of Southern California General Manager Jeff Kightlinger, who had served on a panel but was now back in his seat among the audience of 200, she said: "Jeff?" Kightlinger replied, "Sounds good to me!" and turned to his Board Chair, Tim Brick, who was also in the audience, and said "Tim?" Brick gave his thumbs up, Metropolitan matched the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's pledge, and planning for what became WUCA began. (Interesting note: that initial pledge lasted nearly ten years because the bulk of WUCA's work has been driven by utility staff and volunteer experts drawn into the collaboration). Shortly after the summit, WUCA was formed, which has led to over a decade of innovative work in climate adaptation, as highlighted throughout these leading practices. ENGAGE SUSTAIN Seek out and support climate champions throughout your utility Progress happens more quickly with the support of motivated individuals who value and prioritize climate adaptation work, including executive-level leaders. It is therefore important to build relationships with and educate champions who can influence climate adaptation actions, then help sustain and strengthen those efforts. Having champions across an organization (in planning, engineering, finance, public relations, and other roles) can contribute diverse expertise and resources and help provide institutional memory as individuals' roles change. This practice is included under both ENGAGE and SUSTAIN climate adaptation actions. Example: Building a cross-functional team of champions The Central Arizona Project (CAP) climate adaptation plan(Opens another site in new window) was developed with an education and engagement mindset, which elevated existing and promoted future climate champions throughout the organization. Key to the development of the plan was the active participation of a cross-functional team of internal experts comprising all of CAP's climate-sensitive functions, including water policy, operations and engineering, maintenance, public affairs, technology, legal services, finance and administration, and employee services. The team collaboratively identified implications of climate change for CAP's functions as well as all components of the CAP climate adaptation plan. This approach helped foster climate champions in each of CAP's organizational functions by actively educating and engaging them in the climate adaptation process. It also gave members of the CAP team ownership in addressing CAP's climate challenges. Example: Interactive climate education with an organization One important way to build climate champions is through interactive climate education sessions within an organization. For example, Denver Water includes a "Climate 101" unit in all orientation sessions for new employees and provides climate science, adaptation, and mitigation information in its new employee onboarding package. As part of the Climate 101 education sessions, new employees are given prompts to brainstorm how climate change could impact various utility business functions (finance, water treatment, construction, etc.). This approach gets employees thinking creatively about climate change from day one of the job and establishes a baseline level of climate knowledge. After a Climate 101 session, a new employee of Denver Water's youth education team was inspired to integrate climate change into the youth education curriculum and has since created an entire climate change and water module that is presented to schools throughout the region. Building on the successful implementation of these Climate 101 sessions for new employees, the climate team began offering the sessions to other sections at the utility, usually in groups of three to five people to allow for more interactive conversation. This small scale and interactive approach to climate education has allowed the climate team to build climate champions throughout the organization, as well as to build relationships and co-produce climate adaptation ideas with subject matter experts from many business functions. Example: A dedicated person to support champions utility-wide Austin Water has a long history of implementing a variety of climate planning and management measures. While these efforts have traditionally been housed in the Environmental Affairs and Conservation Program Area, climate work has also been done across utility program areas—like Operations, Pipeline Engineering, and Water Resources Management—and, to some extent, in different city departments. In 2019, Austin Water established a new staff position, Climate Protection Consultant, to place additional utility-wide focus on climate issues. This includes taking steps to enhance information sharing about climate change across the utility, continuing to better incorporate climate concerns into cross-functional utility planning efforts, and representing Austin Water on city-wide climate planning initiatives. This position reports to the Assistant Director of Environmental, Planning, and Development Services. This reporting structure provides frequent opportunities for sharing climate-related information with utility leadership. In addition, the Office of Sustainability, a department within the City of Austin, is currently evaluating options for creating a new Chief Climate Resilience Officer position to address city-wide climate resilience planning and strategy implementation. ENGAGE Consult expertise throughout your utility regularly and with purpose Adapting to climate change requires diverse expertise and broad participation, both of which can be gained by consulting others throughout your organization. The type of engagement that works best varies depending on an organization's culture, but a little forethought and some regularity can go a long way (e.g., begin with listening and ask what matters). Example: Business function conversations Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) climate adaptation staff initiated a process of engagement with internal experts by first sharing results from a region-specific climate change projection study. At early meetings, department heads learned about the types of changes expected in the future and weighed in on how these changes might impact utility business functions. From these initial meetings, a few key business function areas were identified to develop adaptation actions. Then, SNWA set up small group meetings and interviewed each business function area to gather how the organization's experts thought they could address potential impacts. Conversations were summarized, and each small group reviewed the recommended actions and helped develop next steps. The process accomplished several goals: It educated staff about climate change It introduced staff to SNWA's climate leadership so they know whom to contact in the organization with questions Because business function experts were the ones to develop the solutions, it ensures buy-in and increases the likelihood that proposed solutions will be implemented See Example: Business function mapping to learn about a framework for considering climate change across an organization’s business functions. Example: Trash removal as an unexpected adaptation need Adaptation planners at the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) recognized that successful adaptation requires expertise on both climate science and operations. It is not possible for PWD's adaptation planners to possess all of the necessary operational knowledge for the numerous systems PWD operates and maintains across the city (drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater). So the PWD Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) prioritized engaging in two-way conversations with utility operators early and often to share information and begin developing meaningful solutions/adaptation strategies. For example, PWD's adaptation planners met with operations staff at one of PWD's wastewater treatment plants. After presenting future projections of precipitation increases, the operators shared that these conditions would likely produce more trash, accumulating at faster rates, during the initial screening stage of the wastewater treatment process. This consequence, which was only identified after consulting with plant operators, has implications for resources—more staff and equipment may be needed to remove and process trash to maintain current levels of service. Example: Utility-wide climate adaptation planning Preparing a Climate Adaptation Plan provides an opportunity to form a cross-functional team with a clear purpose (see ENGAGE: Seek out and support climate champions throughout your utility). Important lessons Have well-organized information for people to react to. However, do not wait for the analysis to be perfect—share what you have along the way. Strike the right balance between reaching out to staff and respecting their time. ENGAGE Tailor the climate adaptation message for the intended audience One key to successful communication is knowing your audience(s) and framing your message so it has meaning and value to them. A climate adaptation message that resonates with one individual or group might not "land" with others. Identifying which messages work best is time well spent. Example: Be clear why climate change matter Over the past 10 years, the Alliance has homed in on messages that resonate with water utilities to demonstrate the impact climate change could have on critical utility operations and functions. Powerful, clear messages that connect climate change to water utility responsibilities include climate change is water change and warming is here and now. Example: Messages that resonate with engineers When the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) was ready to share information and results from analyses internally, success—i.e., whether climate information would eventually be adopted within existing planning, design, and asset management processes—hinged on good communication. For example, when sharing information with engineers who work on long-term infrastructure plans, CCAP first explained how climate change is altering the water cycle and how climate non-stationarity might challenge standard engineering practices, procedures, and tools. Planners and design engineers are used to working with return intervals and other statistical tools and methods that are based on historic data. It was essential to explain that, because of climate change, these traditional tools and methods may no longer be adequate moving forward. It was also important to convey that the CCAP team is available to help PWD staff tackle these challenges. Example: Concrete impacts of warming temperatures Climate change can be an abstract concept for water utility professionals whose daily responsibilities include operating reservoirs, designing and building projects, and managing aging infrastructure. To make climate change concrete, the Portland Water Bureau has identified a spectrum of ways in which climate warming and its impacts affect water utility functions and operations, from engineering and operations groups to finance, communications, and maintenance & construction. For example, climate warming and wildfire smoke directly affect the health and safety of the outdoor workforce. Also, increased risk of flooding and landslides could damage critical bureau assets. Presenting direct impacts to the day-to-day job of construction field crews and asset management engineers has successfully resonated with these staff. To recognize these impacts and the need for adaptation more formally, the Portland Water Bureau has included several climate adaptation strategies in the utility’s updated strategic plan. The utility also gives many internal and external presentations within the water sector, and most of these communications begin by connecting the physics of a warmer atmosphere to the hydrologic cycle. From there it is easier to illustrate how a changing water cycle will affect a given water utility. ENGAGE Develop a climate communications plan Taking time to consider how climate change information and adaptations strategies are communicated both internally and externally can help motivate action and avoid conflict or confusion. ENGAGE Include equity from the beginning Effective solutions to climate change challenges depend on many factors, all of which might not be clear at the onset. Engaging and focusing on the needs of communities, particularly those most vulnerable to disruptions caused by climate impacts, is best done at the beginning and throughout a project. By improving conditions for the most vulnerable in your community, you also improve conditions for everyone. ENGAGE SUSTAIN Make the business case for climate adaptation Improving resiliency takes time and resources but can also save time and resources. Transparency about financial elements, including tradeoffs in costs and other triple-bottom-line benefits — social, environmental, and financial — can motivate action and demonstrate how adaptation investments can save money in the long run. This helps engage people from the beginning and sustain the effort. This practice is included under both ENGAGE and SUSTAIN climate adaptation actions. See examples in the SUSTAIN section.

WUCA Archives WUCA Annual Reports Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2017 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2018 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2019 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2020 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2023 Water Utility Climate Alliance Annual Report 2024 Guidance Documents Scaling and Application of Climate Projections to Stormwater and Wastewater Resilience Planning, 2022 Co-Producing Actionable Science for Water Utilities (2016) Insurance, Bond Ratings and Climate Risk - A Primer for Water Utilities (2019) Engineering Case Studies Engineering Case Study, Tarrant Regional Water District, Pump Station Cooling Solutions, Extreme Heat Adaptation, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Engineering Case Study, Seattle Public Utilities & King County, Ship Canal Water Quality Project, Seattle, Washington Engineering Case Study, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Low Lake Level Pumping Station, Drought Adaptation, Las Vegas, Nevada Engineering Case Study, City and County of San Francisco, Sea Level Rise Capital Planning and Guidance, California Engineering Case Study, Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department, Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades for Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge, Florida Engineering Case Study, Copenhagen Cloudburst Management Plan for Extreme Rainfall, Denmark Engineering Case Study, Colorado Dept of Natural Resources Dam Safety Design for Extreme Rainfall, Colorado Engineering Case Study, New York City Dept of Environmental Protection Climate Resilience Standard Operating Procedure for Sea Level Rise and Extreme Weather Events, New York Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Case Studies Greenhouse Gas Case Study: The Water Energy Nexus (WEN) protocol, California Department of Water Resources, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Sustainable Water Treatment Plant, Denver Water, Colorado Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Pumping efficiencies, MWRA, Massachusetts Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Biogas to Local Natural Gas, NYC DEP, New York Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Inline Micro-Hydro, Portland Water Bureau, Oregon Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Energy Recovery System for the Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Plant, Poseidon Water, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Pumping Optimization, City of Lakewood, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Solar Panels, San Diego County Water Authority, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Wind power, solar, and battery storage, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Carbon Free Water, Sonoma Water, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Floating Solar, Lake County Special District, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Reducing Fleet Emissions, East Bay Municipal Utility District, California Greenhouse Gas Case Study: Smart Building Cooling, Waternet Amsterdam, Netherlands Equitable Climate Solutions Case Studies Equitable Climate Solutions Case Study, Leveraging Data for Equitable Climate Outcomes Equitable Climate Solutions Case Study, Equity and Affordability in Water Conservation Equitable Climate Solutions Case Study, Equitable Community Engagement for Climate Action Heat Impacts Case Studies Heat Impacts Case Study, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Nevada Heat Impacts Case Study, Portland Water Bureau, Oregon Heat Impacts Case Study, Oklahoma City Utilities Department, Oklahoma Heat Impacts Case Study, Miami, Florida

Leading practices in climate adaptation While water utilities are highly adept at understanding and mitigating uncertainty, climate change exacerbates current challenges and adds new risks to already complex utility practices. Climate adaptation requires working across business functions and organizational silos, necessitating more integration and new tools. It benefits from collaboration across sectors, including businesses and suppliers, and among the utility, the city, and the region. Developing new approaches is not easy—nor is the work straightforward—yet there is an incredible power in learning from and with each other . For more than 10 years, the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) has been at the forefront of strengthening the field of climate adaptation. WUCA members have uncovered ways to build adaptive capacity and incorporate new climate science into water management, planning, investments, and actions. To share what worked, WUCA has compiled climate adaptation practices that have been tested, leveraging WUCA members' experiences to build a shared knowledge base and illustrate not-always clear directions forward. The goal is to make approaches for successful climate change adaptation easier to discover, understand, and navigate, and to help other utilities avoid having to recreate the wheel or invest in unnecessary efforts, thus saving time and money. This collection of leading practices in climate adaptation covers a suite of climate adaptation actions and is intended to broadly promote collaborative learning. Each practice in the collection is explained and supported by concrete examples. These practices are drawn from WUCA work products and WUCA members' experiences, and, when possible, connected to relevant resources and related efforts. Most of these practices are appropriate for water utilities of any size, as well as other sectors interested in climate adaptation. Download the full Leading Practices report Download a short overview Learning-sharing worksheet View full collection of Leading Practices (This links to an archived webpage that includes all examples of leading practices in action at water utilities. WUCA recently went through a website transition, and we are still working on the best way to fully integrate all content from the Leading Practices project onto this new site) Key lessons In compiling these leading practices, WUCA learned several lessons that may help support climate adaptation practices within other organizations: The process is often more important than the resulting plan. In this and other WUCA projects (e.g., engineering case studies, WUCA's Building Resilience to a Changing Climate technical training), the opportunity to encourage conversations (two-way, both listening and sharing) about climate adaptation within and across utilities was valuable. WUCA hopes this report's living-document design will continue to facilitate these types of conversations within and across water utilities and in other sectors as well. Climate adaptation champions are integral to the success of most leading practices. Utilities are seeking ways to improve their ability to mainstream climate change information into existing business functions. Mainstreaming simultaneously allows for the identification of practical, relevant, and achievable adaptation solutions while also fostering internal champions. The science will never be perfect , so learning about strategies for making decisions in the face of deep uncertainty is key to taking climate adaptation action. The perfect can be the enemy of the good. Developing perfect climate adaptation actions may slow progress and prevent necessary learning. It is important to try different things to learn and adapt. The climate change adaptation landscape is also rapidly changing, so what gets developed may need to be revised sooner than anticipated. Adaptation is an iterative process. Essential climate adaptation actions and leading practices need to be re-visited over time as they continue to inform and support each other The Leading Practices Collection The current practices and where they are placed within the five essential climate adaptation action areas are shared below. Action areas and leading practices are not prioritized. Instead, the most useful practices depend on the individual organization's needs and priorities. View full collection of Leading Practices (This links to an archived webpage that includes all examples of leading practices in action at water utilities. WUCA recently went through a website transition, and we are still working on the best way to fully integrate all content from the Leading Practices project onto this new site) ENGAGE Recognize many ways to motivate climate adaptation action Seek out and support climate champions throughout your utility (also in SUSTAIN ) Consult expertise throughout your utility regularly and with purpose Tailor the climate adaptation message for the intended audience Develop a climate communications plan Include equity from the beginning Make the business case for climate adaptation (also in SUSTAIN ) UNDERSTAND Invest in understanding climate science Explore how extremes might change in the future Value simple vulnerability assessments Foster sustained relationships with the climate science community Know your water system Think broadly about climate impacts Be a savvy consumer: recognize values and limits of climate science in practice Know your past climate conditions Recognize the value of long-term monitoring PLAN Connect with ongoing or upcoming planning processes Leverage the power of well-placed climate change screening questions Be prepared to be changed by the process Learn from earlier climate change planning efforts Develop tools that allow information customization Take on climate change as another component of risk management Leverage existing funding mechanisms (also in SUSTAIN) Plan for a range of futures, not a single future Employ decision-making science and deep uncertainty concepts Build and maintain in-house capacity IMPLEMENT Be prepared to act when opportunities arise Find co-benefits and no- and low-regret adaptation strategies Recognize some adaptations can be employed quickly Recognize smaller changes can lead to bigger ones Focus on your organization's core responsibilities first Enact incentives or policies that change behavior Enact changes in infrastructure and operations SUSTAIN Make the business case for climate adaptation Leverage existing funding mechanisms Monitor and evaluate current conditions Approach climate change adaptation through mainstreaming Avoid new climate science whiplash Keep moving forward, even if it feels slow Value climate adaptation as more than a plan Establish a community of practice to integrate climate change adaptation Build and maintain in-house capacity Seek out and support climate champions throughout your utility

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WUCA develops research, reports, and trainings to help water and wastewater utilities to understand climate modeling and uncertainty, understand climate risks, plan for enhanced resilience, implement climate solutions, and build internal capacity. In addition to the focus areas outlined below, WUCA also has separate pages dedicated to: Resilience Trainings Leading Practices Climate Modeling with CMIP 6 Understanding Climate Modeling and Uncertainty CMIP6 FAQ for Water Managers (2025) The Influence of Downscaling on Climate Projections (2024) Improving the Vegetation Representation in Hydrologic Models Alters Hydroclimate Projections (2023) Scaling and Application of Climate Projections to Stormwater and Wastewater Resilience Planning (2022) Co-Producing Actionable Science for Water Utilities (2016) Proceedings of the Water Utility Climate Alliance Piloting Utility Modeling Applications (PUMA) Workshop (2010) Understanding Climate Risks It's Hot, and Getting Hotter: Implications of Extreme Heat on Water Utility Staff and Infrastructure, and Ideas for Adapting (2022) Mapping Climate Exposure and Climate Information Needs to Water Utility Business Functions (2021) Executive Summary, Research Report , Appendix, Framework Guidebook , Spectrum Enhanced Climate Related Risk and Opportunities Framework and Guidebook (2021) and Webcast Insurance, Bond Ratings and Climate Risk - A Primer for Water Utilities (2019) Adaptation and Resilience Planning A Beginner's Guide to Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty for Water Utilities (2026) Defining Levels of Service (2025) Representing Climate Change Impacts in Water Demand Modeling (2022) Embracing Uncertainty: A Case Study Examination of How Climate Change is Shifting Water Utility Planning (2015) Decision support planning methods: Incorporating climate change uncertainties into water planning (2010) Implementation Case Studies in Engineering, Mitigation, Stormwater and Wastewater, and Equitable Implementation Leading Practices in Climate Adaptation Beyond Barriers to Implementation -A Water Sector Perspective on Sea Level Rise Adaptation Leading Practices in Climate Adaptation (2021) Climate Risks to Water Utility Built Assets and Infrastructure (2015) Training and Presentations WUCA Adaptation and Resilience Trainings, multiple years Helping Small- and Medium-Sized Water Utilities Plan and Design for A Changing Climate Water system resilience in an uncertain climate future, 2018 Climate Change Resiliency Planning For Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater, 2018 Successful Coproduction and Collaboration, 2018

Plan Unfortunately, science will not "solve" climate change in the way we traditionally expect science to solve our challenges. The range of climate projections will stay large and may even grow as more detail and complexity are added to the models used to understand past and future conditions of a naturally chaotic system. As with planning for retirement, practitioners benefit from embracing uncertainty. Faced with unknowns, it is better to move forward with different decision-making techniques and plan for a range of future conditions than spend time and money waiting for the science to become more predictive. Seeking robust, no-regret and low-regret investments that work across a range of future conditions and identifying solutions for future use helps build adaptive capacity within a utility's operations and investments to prepare for whatever the future may bring.Navigating the planning process in the midst of uncertainty is fundamental to climate adaptation success. The leading practices in the PLAN action area, introduced below, highlight how WUCA members are learning to better assess how changes in underlying conditions impact their systems (e.g., infrastructure, financial, ecosystems, and human resources) and how to plan in a climate change context. In the PLAN action area, leading practices include: Connect with ongoing or upcoming planning processes Leverage the power of well-placed climate change screening questions Be prepared to be changed by the processLearn from earlier climate change planning efforts Develop tools that allow information customization Take on climate change as another component of risk management Leverage existing funding mechanisms (also in SUSTAIN) Plan for a range of futures, not a single future Employ decision-making science and deep uncertainty concepts Build and maintain in-house capacity (also in SUSTAIN) PLAN Connect with ongoing or upcoming planning processes Climate adaptation can be most effective when worked into ongoing or upcoming planning within a utility, as opposed to creating a separate, standalone document like a climate adaptation plan. Examples of integrating climate adaptation into existing or planned efforts could include: Making strategic suggestions when planning documents are revised; Adding "consider climate change" to planning checklists; Adding language about exploring/evaluating climate adaptations in RFPs and consultant scoping documents; and Providing new data sets/analysis by which planning options can be evaluated Example: A climate change-focused integrated resource plan Water Forward, Austin Water's integrated water resource plan(Opens another site in new window), which was adopted in 2018, was developed with a focus on addressing climate change impacts, building on regular utility planning such as the state-required five-year water conservation and drought contingency plans. This 100-year plan evaluated future demands in multiple hydrologic scenarios to identify future demand-management and supply strategies to be implemented by the utility and the community. The plan will be updated every five years as part of the utility's ongoing adaptive water resource management approach. Austin Water staff continue to participate in other planning efforts to facilitate strategy implementation, such as development of a City of Austin Climate Equity Plan, green infrastructure plan, watershed master plan, and the state-required Lower Colorado River Basin regional water plan. These planning efforts have provided an opportunity for greater implementation, as described in IMPLEMENT: Be prepared to act when opportunities arise. Example: Strategic planning To recognize climate impacts and the need for adaptation more formally, the Portland Water Bureau included several climate adaptation strategies in the utility's updated strategic plan, described in Example: Concrete impacts of warming temperatures. Example: Enterprise risk management Southern Nevada Water Authority did an organization-wide risk analysis to understand the breadth of climate risk. See PLAN: Take on climate change as another component of risk management for details. ENGAGE SUSTAIN Seek out and support climate champions throughout your utility Progress happens more quickly with the support of motivated individuals who value and prioritize climate adaptation work, including executive-level leaders. It is therefore important to build relationships with and educate champions who can influence climate adaptation actions, then help sustain and strengthen those efforts. Having champions across an organization (in planning, engineering, finance, public relations, and other roles) can contribute diverse expertise and resources and help provide institutional memory as individuals' roles change. This practice is included under both ENGAGE and SUSTAIN climate adaptation actions. Example: Building a cross-functional team of champions The Central Arizona Project (CAP) climate adaptation plan(Opens another site in new window) was developed with an education and engagement mindset, which elevated existing and promoted future climate champions throughout the organization. Key to the development of the plan was the active participation of a cross-functional team of internal experts comprising all of CAP's climate-sensitive functions, including water policy, operations and engineering, maintenance, public affairs, technology, legal services, finance and administration, and employee services. The team collaboratively identified implications of climate change for CAP's functions as well as all components of the CAP climate adaptation plan. This approach helped foster climate champions in each of CAP's organizational functions by actively educating and engaging them in the climate adaptation process. It also gave members of the CAP team ownership in addressing CAP's climate challenges. Example: Interactive climate education with an organization One important way to build climate champions is through interactive climate education sessions within an organization. For example, Denver Water includes a "Climate 101" unit in all orientation sessions for new employees and provides climate science, adaptation, and mitigation information in its new employee onboarding package. As part of the Climate 101 education sessions, new employees are given prompts to brainstorm how climate change could impact various utility business functions (finance, water treatment, construction, etc.). This approach gets employees thinking creatively about climate change from day one of the job and establishes a baseline level of climate knowledge. After a Climate 101 session, a new employee of Denver Water's youth education team was inspired to integrate climate change into the youth education curriculum and has since created an entire climate change and water module that is presented to schools throughout the region. Building on the successful implementation of these Climate 101 sessions for new employees, the climate team began offering the sessions to other sections at the utility, usually in groups of three to five people to allow for more interactive conversation. This small scale and interactive approach to climate education has allowed the climate team to build climate champions throughout the organization, as well as to build relationships and co-produce climate adaptation ideas with subject matter experts from many business functions. Example: A dedicated person to support champions utility-wide Austin Water has a long history of implementing a variety of climate planning and management measures. While these efforts have traditionally been housed in the Environmental Affairs and Conservation Program Area, climate work has also been done across utility program areas—like Operations, Pipeline Engineering, and Water Resources Management—and, to some extent, in different city departments. In 2019, Austin Water established a new staff position, Climate Protection Consultant, to place additional utility-wide focus on climate issues. This includes taking steps to enhance information sharing about climate change across the utility, continuing to better incorporate climate concerns into cross-functional utility planning efforts, and representing Austin Water on city-wide climate planning initiatives. This position reports to the Assistant Director of Environmental, Planning, and Development Services. This reporting structure provides frequent opportunities for sharing climate-related information with utility leadership. In addition, the Office of Sustainability, a department within the City of Austin, is currently evaluating options for creating a new Chief Climate Resilience Officer position to address city-wide climate resilience planning and strategy implementation. ENGAGE Consult expertise throughout your utility regularly and with purpose Adapting to climate change requires diverse expertise and broad participation, both of which can be gained by consulting others throughout your organization. The type of engagement that works best varies depending on an organization's culture, but a little forethought and some regularity can go a long way (e.g., begin with listening and ask what matters). Example: Business function conversations Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) climate adaptation staff initiated a process of engagement with internal experts by first sharing results from a region-specific climate change projection study. At early meetings, department heads learned about the types of changes expected in the future and weighed in on how these changes might impact utility business functions. From these initial meetings, a few key business function areas were identified to develop adaptation actions. Then, SNWA set up small group meetings and interviewed each business function area to gather how the organization's experts thought they could address potential impacts. Conversations were summarized, and each small group reviewed the recommended actions and helped develop next steps. The process accomplished several goals: It educated staff about climate change It introduced staff to SNWA's climate leadership so they know whom to contact in the organization with questions Because business function experts were the ones to develop the solutions, it ensures buy-in and increases the likelihood that proposed solutions will be implemented See Example: Business function mapping to learn about a framework for considering climate change across an organization’s business functions. Example: Trash removal as an unexpected adaptation need Adaptation planners at the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) recognized that successful adaptation requires expertise on both climate science and operations. It is not possible for PWD's adaptation planners to possess all of the necessary operational knowledge for the numerous systems PWD operates and maintains across the city (drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater). So the PWD Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) prioritized engaging in two-way conversations with utility operators early and often to share information and begin developing meaningful solutions/adaptation strategies. For example, PWD's adaptation planners met with operations staff at one of PWD's wastewater treatment plants. After presenting future projections of precipitation increases, the operators shared that these conditions would likely produce more trash, accumulating at faster rates, during the initial screening stage of the wastewater treatment process. This consequence, which was only identified after consulting with plant operators, has implications for resources—more staff and equipment may be needed to remove and process trash to maintain current levels of service. Example: Utility-wide climate adaptation planning Preparing a Climate Adaptation Plan provides an opportunity to form a cross-functional team with a clear purpose (see ENGAGE: Seek out and support climate champions throughout your utility). Important lessons Have well-organized information for people to react to. However, do not wait for the analysis to be perfect—share what you have along the way. Strike the right balance between reaching out to staff and respecting their time. ENGAGE Tailor the climate adaptation message for the intended audience One key to successful communication is knowing your audience(s) and framing your message so it has meaning and value to them. A climate adaptation message that resonates with one individual or group might not "land" with others. Identifying which messages work best is time well spent. Example: Be clear why climate change matter Over the past 10 years, the Alliance has homed in on messages that resonate with water utilities to demonstrate the impact climate change could have on critical utility operations and functions. Powerful, clear messages that connect climate change to water utility responsibilities include climate change is water change and warming is here and now. Example: Messages that resonate with engineers When the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) was ready to share information and results from analyses internally, success—i.e., whether climate information would eventually be adopted within existing planning, design, and asset management processes—hinged on good communication. For example, when sharing information with engineers who work on long-term infrastructure plans, CCAP first explained how climate change is altering the water cycle and how climate non-stationarity might challenge standard engineering practices, procedures, and tools. Planners and design engineers are used to working with return intervals and other statistical tools and methods that are based on historic data. It was essential to explain that, because of climate change, these traditional tools and methods may no longer be adequate moving forward. It was also important to convey that the CCAP team is available to help PWD staff tackle these challenges. Example: Concrete impacts of warming temperatures Climate change can be an abstract concept for water utility professionals whose daily responsibilities include operating reservoirs, designing and building projects, and managing aging infrastructure. To make climate change concrete, the Portland Water Bureau has identified a spectrum of ways in which climate warming and its impacts affect water utility functions and operations, from engineering and operations groups to finance, communications, and maintenance & construction. For example, climate warming and wildfire smoke directly affect the health and safety of the outdoor workforce. Also, increased risk of flooding and landslides could damage critical bureau assets. Presenting direct impacts to the day-to-day job of construction field crews and asset management engineers has successfully resonated with these staff. To recognize these impacts and the need for adaptation more formally, the Portland Water Bureau has included several climate adaptation strategies in the utility’s updated strategic plan. The utility also gives many internal and external presentations within the water sector, and most of these communications begin by connecting the physics of a warmer atmosphere to the hydrologic cycle. From there it is easier to illustrate how a changing water cycle will affect a given water utility. PLAN Leverage the power of well-placed climate change screening questions One of the first steps to successful climate adaptation is building awareness that future conditions (e.g., weather, sea levels) will be different. While there is often not a clear answer to how big changes will be, a lot can be done by getting decision makers to pause and consider how they might adjust. This could be as basic as inserting climate change screening questions into key planning processes. PLAN Be prepared to be changed by the process Grappling with climate change and planning for adaptations can inspire new ways of thinking that could alter how you plan within your organization, whether for climate, land use, population, or other significant future changes. PLAN Learn from earlier climate change planning efforts Over the past 10+ years, many utilities have started planning for climate change. Their efforts have resulted in both missteps and innovations worth learning about, such as trainings, case studies, and these leading practices. ENGAGE Include equity from the beginning Effective solutions to climate change challenges depend on many factors, all of which might not be clear at the onset. Engaging and focusing on the needs of communities, particularly those most vulnerable to disruptions caused by climate impacts, is best done at the beginning and throughout a project. By improving conditions for the most vulnerable in your community, you also improve conditions for everyone. ENGAGE SUSTAIN Make the business case for climate adaptation Improving resiliency takes time and resources but can also save time and resources. Transparency about financial elements, including tradeoffs in costs and other triple-bottom-line benefits — social, environmental, and financial — can motivate action and demonstrate how adaptation investments can save money in the long run. This helps engage people from the beginning and sustain the effort. This practice is included under both ENGAGE and SUSTAIN climate adaptation actions. See examples in the SUSTAIN section.