Online Auction Raises Funds for AWWA Operator Scholarship

The Water Equation, the fundraising program of the American Water Works Assn. (AWWA), launched its first-ever online auction to raise funds for the One AWWA Operator Scholarship Fund. The online auction will run through June 21.

AWWA Sections donated many of the auction items, representing various regional cultures, ranging from a helicopter ride to rodeo tickets. The auction also features a trip to Canada’s Fairmount Chateau Lake Louise and a trip to the NASA Kennedy Space Center for an astronaut training experience. All the money raised will go toward a matching fund from AWWA’s The Water Equation and participating AWWA Sections.

Over the next decade, 7,000 water and wastewater operators will be in demand in the water industry. As technology becomes more complex, so will the demands on operators. Launched last year by the AWWA Board of Directors, the One AWWA Operator Scholarship addresses the need for current and future operators by providing training and educational funding.

Patricia Dugas, a water treatment plant administrative assistant from Santa Claus, Ind., benefitted from the scholarship fund. In 2016, Dugas was one of 12 recipients of the scholarship, which paid for courses, training and books to help her on a new career path.