World Water Day: How is water shaping our future?

World Water Day is a moment to consider water’s importance to life, the environment and thriving communities. It’s also a call to action. As climate impacts intensify and water challenges grow more complex, the need for integrated, forward-looking solutions has never been greater. At Jacobs, that responsibility sits at the heart of our global water team.

Leading our team of 9,000 water professionals is Senior Vice President Susan Moisio. From advancing watershed-scale strategies to championing digital innovation and mentoring the next generation of leaders, Susan understands that water connects everything — from energy and food systems to equity and economic resilience. In this World Water Day Q&A, she explains how the industry is evolving, her role championing women leaders and what it means to know water. 

World Water Day is an opportunity to reflect. You’ve been leading our water team for five years — how has the industry changed in that time? 

The pace of change has accelerated dramatically. Climate impacts are more visible and more urgent. Extreme events — whether flooding, drought or water quality crises — are happening more frequently. Each one reinforces the need to look at systems holistically.

We often say water challenges fall into three categories: too much water, too little water or poor water quality. But the real shift has been in how we address them. We’re thinking regionally and adaptively. Instead of solving a single asset issue, we’re asking: how does this fit within the broader water system? What does this mean over a 20-year program? We’ve moved beyond solving isolated challenges to embracing integrated approaches that tackle issues like climate resilience and equity together. 

Water reuse has accelerated as well. Communities no longer view wastewater as waste, but as a valuable resource that supports resilience, renewable energy and broader sustainability goals. Water touches everything: energy, food, economic stability and even national security. World Water Day reminds us that our work matters at every scale. 

Digital adoption has accelerated in recent years. How’s that reshaping the way we solve water challenges?

When I started in this industry, our flow monitors were chart recorders, we didn’t have radar rainfall and we relied on printed maps rolled out across a table. We understood systems — but we couldn’t see them the way we can today. Digital tools — Geographic Information Systems (GIS), hydraulic modeling, digital twins, system optimization — haven’t changed what we know about water. They’ve validated it and accelerated it. They allow us to see interconnected systems.

Take Wilmington, Delaware as an example. By integrating stormwater, wastewater, treatment plant operations and river interactions, we were able to view the system holistically. Some insights are straightforward, such as identifying a blockage. Others are more complex, like understanding how pump stations, collection systems and treatment processes interact under stress conditions.

Digital transformation is about more than a single platform or tool. It’s integrating data and expertise across the full asset lifecycle — planning, design, construction, operations and asset management — to make smarter, more resilient decisions.

This year’s World Water Day theme highlights water and gender. What does it mean to be a woman leader in water today?

It took me time to find my voice — and I think that’s something many women can relate to. 

I’ve been fortunate at Jacobs to benefit from our Women’s Network and, early in my leadership journey, I formed a women’s group within our water conveyance and storage team. We later expanded to a global Women of Water network, providing a trusted space for mentorship and support. Externally, I’m also part of a ReSoLve cohort of women water leaders. That network has been incredibly powerful. Leadership can be demanding, and having a supportive community makes a real difference.

At Jacobs, we talk about leadership shadow — the idea that people watch how you lead, especially in challenging moments. Building supportive networks helps leaders model resilience. That’s what Women of Water is about: connection, preparation and support.

At Jacobs, we say that we know water. What does that mean to you?

It means water is personal to us. Ask anyone in our global water team about their favorite body of water — a lake they fished in, a river they swam in — and you’ll hear a story. Those personal connections fuel our professional passion. But it also means something bigger. It means we understand water at scale — from watershed dynamics to regional supply, from energy and food systems to climate resilience. We know that water is foundational to thriving communities.

And importantly, it’s not just about what we know — it’s about what we do with that knowledge. It’s how we share expertise, mentor others, step up in moments of need and partner with communities to create lasting impact. I think about our impact in Jackson, Mississippi — stepping in to support the community and return their water system to compliance. 

That’s what World Water Day represents to me. Water connects everything — and it connects all of us.