Course Description

AI is moving quickly, and the water sector now has an opportunity to adopt it thoughtfully and responsibly. Yet many water professionals have not received practical guidance on what AI is, how it works, or how it can be used safely and effectively within a water utility environment. This course is designed to close that gap.

Created specifically for water utility professionals, this training requires no technical background and focuses on practical understanding and real-world application. Through hands-on exercises and applicable utility scenarios, participants will explore how generative AI can help solve common workplace challenges such as navigating regulatory documents, preparing reports and presentations, summarizing lengthy technical materials, and quickly accessing institutional knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will gain a clear understanding of the key concepts behind generative AI, including large language models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), context windows, AI assistants, governance considerations, and safe implementation of tools such as custom chatbots and emerging agent-based systems within utility organizations.

The course emphasizes practical outcomes and workforce value. By learning how to apply AI tools responsibly, water professionals can reduce time spent searching for information, streamline routine documentation, improve internal communication, and strengthen knowledge sharing across teams. The result is a more informed, efficient workforce that can focus more time on problem solving, operational insight, and strategic decision making.

Course Length

This self-paced course will take approximately five (5) hours to complete. 

Format

The course is house on Google Classroom, which requires a Gmail email address. If you do not have one, you can create one for free.

Next Steps

Once you have registered for the course, you will receive a receipt with login information. 

Refund Policy

This course is not eligible for refunds.

About the Instructors

Gigi Karmous-Edwards is the founder of Karmous Edwards Consulting, advising utilities and infrastructure organizations on digital transformation and emerging technologies. She is also the technology lead and Co-Principal Investigator for WRF Project 5321 with AWWA and WEF, focused on Generative AI opportunities for the global water sector. Her work centers on translating emerging technologies including digital twins, IoT, analytics, and AI into real-world applications that improve infrastructure performance, operational decision-making, and long-term system resilience. Gigi is also the founder and previous co-chair of the SWAN Digital Twin Work Group, where she continues to collaborate with global leaders to shape frameworks for next-generation digital utility management. She is one of the organizers of this year’s SWAN Digital Divide Workshop hosted in Miami.

Lisa Haney is the founder of Blue Bridge Strategies, an advisory firm that helps water utilities navigate innovation, organizational change, and emerging technologies. She brings an executive perspective on how utilities adopt new tools, align governance and workforce strategies, and implement innovation across spatial scales of an organizations. She works with utility leaders to develop practical roadmaps that connect policy, operations, workforce readiness, and data-driven decision making. Lisa is also a co-author of a recent e-book on practical AI adoption in the water sector and has written several white papers on AI strategic planning and workforce readiness, bringing an experienced utility leadership perspective to how AI can be implemented responsibly and effectively.

Together, they bring deep expertise at the intersection of water utility operations, emerging technology, and responsible AI adoption.