Reserve Your Founding Member Spot

Joining a collaborative community of water professionals

Founding member applications are being reviewed weekly. Only 50 spots available. First 50 members set governance, working groups, and initial standards.

What You Gain as a Founding Member

First 50 members don't just join, they build the foundation everyone else follows

Set the governance structure and initial working groups
Vote on which standards to develop first
Participate in pilot project selection

Co-author foundational standards
Shape the future of water utility data architecture
Early access to implementation guides

How Will You Contribute?

Select the role that best describes how you'll participate in the Water Ontology Initiative

Contributor

Water professionals sharing real-world implementation experiences

What you'll contribute: Real-world requirements, use cases, validation of standards

Reviewer

Industry experts ensuring technical accuracy and practical guidance

What you'll contribute: Technical review, standards validation, best practices

What you'll contribute: Funding, resources, pilot project sites

Partner

Organizations contributing resources, expertise, and distribution

Examples: Water associations, regulatory bodies, research institutions

Champion

Utility leaders ready to pilot and share early implementations

Examples: Utility executives, innovation directors, operations managers

Technology Expert

Specialists in the systems we're integrating

Examples: SCADA engineers, GIS analysts, hydraulic modelers, data scientists

Join the Water Ontology Initiative

Full Name *

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Email Address *

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Company/Organization *

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Contribution Role *

You can also select by clicking the role cards above

Please select your contribution role

Technical Focus Areas (select all that apply)

Primary Role/Expertise

Experience Level

Tell us about your vision (optional)

We'll respond within 48 hours with next steps

Working Groups Forming Now

Founding members select which groups to lead. Later members join groups others created.

Collaborative working groups tackling challenges together

📊

Semantic Standards

Defining the water utility hierarchy

🔧

Asset Data Models

Standardizing pump, valve, pipe, treatment unit schemas

🔗

Integration Patterns

SCADA, GIS, CMMS, LIMS integration recipes

🧪

Pilot Projects

Real-world testing and validation

📚

Training & Documentation

Educational materials and guides

Timeline

Our roadmap from interest building through standards publication

Now - Feb 1, 2026

Interest Building Phase - Building the founding cohort, gathering input, refining the vision

Feb - Apr 2026

Form working groups, draft initial standards

May - Jul 2026

Pilot testing at 3-5 utilities

Aug - Oct 2026

Refinement based on pilot results

Nov 2026 - Jul 2027

Publication of v1.0 standards (Month 10-18)